spring2011

SPRING PRICELESS LOVE Can You Feel It? GOODLIFE . The Transformation of Our Culture EARTHSONG Mother Nature’s Party - You’re Invited PATRICK HOLFORD Feel Good Factors

Ballyvourney, Co. Cork Distributors of organic and conventional whole foods to the INDEPENDENT TRADE www.iihealthfoods.com

Contents 4Spring Vibes Opportunities, Events and Products 6 Positively Newsworthy Awe-inspiring Stories 10 Spirituality and the City Do You Feel a Shift Coming? 12 Astrology Exploring Your Sun Sign - The Final Countdown 15 Positive Power Eternal Springtime of the Fearless Mind 16 Positive Business The Pluck of the Irish Abroad 18 Positive Beauty Awaken to Your Beauty 20 Ishsko Gift for a Better Life 22 Julie Williams A Healthy PH Balance 25 John Cantwell Mything Something? 26Alchemy of Voice Reﬂections of a Sound Alchemist 28 Love Life without fear 30 GoodLife 2.0 The Transformation of our Culture 32 Experiencing Earthsong Party With The Planet 34That Healing Feeling Dancing, Reconnecting and Needles 36 CNMFit for a Long and Healthy Life 38 Patrick Holford Feel Good Factors 40 Grow It Yourself Steps, Recipes and Tips 43Hans Wieland Polytunnel Vision 44 Spring Recipes Spring Greens and Plum Fools 47 Short and Sweet Meditation, Tantra and Baby Massage Publisher PC Media paul@positivelife.ie Editorial Patrick Bridgeman patrick@positivelife.ie Design Simon O’Connor simon@postivelife.ie Advertising Paul Congdon paul@positivelife.ie 0861579518 Thanks to our advertisers, we can give Positive Life magazine to you for FREE. If you’re talking to them, let them know we sent you their way. Please use the information provided in this publication as a recommendation only to better mental and physical health. We strongly advise you to consult your doctor regarding health concerns that you may have. The views expressed by contributors and advisors do not necessarily represent the views of the publication’s staﬀ. Printed, published, packaged and distributed in Ireland. www.positivelife.ie Beginning here now… AS you have probably guessed by now, we are big fans of POSITIVITY here at Positive Life. But what is it? Is it practi- cal, useful? MY feeling is that it is hugely powerful. I’ve heard REALITY described as a giant mirror that simply reﬂects back what we are feeling. So, before you go about your day, spend a little time giving your reﬂection something to SMILE about. Focus on whatever it is that makes you feel GOOD - your favourite person, pastime, memory; whatever gets you going in the right direction. Once there - in as good a feeling space as you can muster - head off into your day and see what UNFOLDS. Throughout the day, all sorts of information is sent your way, so try and maintain the technique of guiding your thinking in that positive direction. Feel free to use this - our SPRING edition which has given birth to 8 extra pages for your reading pleasure. It’s BRIMFUL of positivity. So, this Spring, let’s FOCUS on what’s right in our individual and collective worlds. paul congdon,Publisher “Use any excuse you can to feel good and watch what happens.”Abraham Hicks.

Opportunitiesworth embracing Upskill for the Green Economy Green Works offers free training to job- seekers in collaboration with the Depart- ment of Education and Skills’ Labour Market Activation Fund. The training is aimed at educating and upskilling the workforce, preparing students for growing oppor- tunities within Ireland’s green economy. Students will beneﬁt from a wide variety of themed courses, FETAC certiﬁcates, workshops, work placements, lectures, networking and more. www.green-works.ie The 10,000 Good Deeds Challenge You are invited to join the challenge to accomplish 10,000 Good Deeds by the end of 2011. Large or small, it doesn’t matter. Self-sacriﬁcing or not, extraordinary or mundane, it doesn’t matter. Post your Deed on the website’s wall and keep the count going. The more people who com- mit, the better the chances of success. www.holistic-self-improvement.com Prisms of Light An Irish ﬁlm director with a burning question goes to India where almost two million Westerners travel as spiritual tourists each year. “Are they running away from something or towards some- thing?” Prisms of Light is an independ- ent movie, funded 100% by donations from people who believe in its ethos. If you’d like to help this project in it’s ﬁnal stages, visit www.prismsoﬂight.net springvibes “The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other.” Arthur Rubenstein 4

Eventsworth attending Marianne Williamson Wednesday 23rd March Just as there are forces of light and spir- ituality on the planet, so too there are challenges. But are the forces of Light mere symbol or genuine force? Is it metaphor or an actual power to be used? Now is the moment for humanity to not merely believe but to consciously apply on a practical level the awesome forces of faith and love. www.seminars.ie Shamanic Practitioners Course Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd April Here is your chance to explore the exciting and ecstatic realms beyond ordinary reality using traditional shamanic techniques from around the world, i.e. drumming and rattling, trance dancing, shamanic breathwork, ritual and ceremony. www.shamanismireland.com Possibilities 2011 Social Forum Wednesday 13th April Possibilities aims to create spaces for dialogue, reﬂection and action in awaken- ing our power to overcome the problems of today and to realise the real possibilities in front of us. Up to 2000 people will gather at the Citywest Hotel Dublin for the Possibili- ties 2011 Social Forum. Special guest speakers include His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. possibilities.ie Healing Angels of the Rainbow Light Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th May This 2 day certiﬁed course with Aidan Storey and Dolores O’Reilly will cover: What are your chakras and where are they? What archangel relates to each chakra? What physical/emotional/mental/spiritual function relates to each chakra? How can you align each one? Also, you’ll receive the Sacred Attunement to The Angels of Divine Light. www.spiritoneseminars.com Personal Process & Nature’s Cycles Various Dates in 2011 Engage your Personal Process in the context of Nature’s Cycles drawing on the Celtic Cal- endar & Spirituality. Residential sessions, limited to 10 people. Reﬂective engagement with nature, deep relaxation, guided medi- tations and personal process facilitation. Choose from 8 pivotal moments in Nature’s Yearly Cycle for 2011. Call Pauline on 040446288 Productsworth trying Himalaya Forest Honey The forests of India are treasure troves of natural goodness. In these untouched forests, wild honeybees visit the ﬂowers to make the purest of honey. This is where Himalaya Forest Honey comes from, the purest that you can ﬁnd anywhere. It is available in Ireland through the lovely little Saffron and Sapphire shop in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. www.saﬀronandsapphire.com Silence of Peace CD Composer and pianist, John Levine, based this work on the centuries-old use of pentatonic and lydian scales. The “spheri- cal” sounds will bring your brain waves to the highly beneﬁcial alpha state within 4 minutes. “Try them. They work.” ~ Patrick Holford www.silenceofmusic.com Angels of Atlantis Oracle Cards Author and Master of Voice, Stewart Pearce, with illustrator Richard Crookes, has created a deck of 44 oracle cards to deliver inspiration and healing from the Angelic kingdoms. The cards represent the characteristics and meanings of the twelve Archangels of Atlantis, depicted here as light-emitting Orbs. www.ﬁndhornpress.com Venuesworth visiting South William Space A wonderful new space in the heart of the city that is choc full of potential. 6 big bright open plan rooms, perfect for work- shops, yoga classes, meetings, etc., plus 1 smaller room for healings and consulta- tions and a shop space all for rent. www.southwilliamspace.com Ranelagh Holistic Centre An exciting new venture has just opened in Ranelagh. You can book a session to experi- ence treatments (including 1:1 Breathwork and Shamanic Reiki), learn energetic protection techniques to manage stress, try a Yoga class or conﬁde in a Psychotherapist. www.ranelaghholisticcentre.com Let Us Knowabout yourself If you have created a new positive project, business, product or event, let us know about it so we can share it with the world. patrick@positivelife.ie

6 positively newsworthy Do people prefer to spread good news or bad news? Would we rather scandalize or enlighten? Which stories do social creatures want to share, and why? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have intensively studied the New York Times list of most e-mailed articles and it turns out that people prefer e-mailing articles with positive rather than negative themes, and they liked to send long articles on intellectually chal- lenging topics. Perhaps most of all, readers wanted to share articles that inspired awe. So here are a selection of stories that we have found awe-inspiring and hope that you will want to share also. The World’s Most Humane Prison Ten years and 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner (1.9 million Euro) in the making, Halden Fengsel, Norway’s newest prison, is spread over 75 acres of gently sloping forest in southeastern Norway. The facil- ity boasts amenities like a sound studio, jogging trails and a freestanding two- bedroom house where inmates can host their families during overnight visits. The scent of orange sorbet emanates from the “kitchen laboratory” where inmates take cooking courses. “In the Norwegian prison system, there’s a focus on human rights and respect,” says Are Hoidal, the prison’s governor. “We don’t see any of this as unusual.” Halden embodies the guiding principles of the country’s penal system: that repressive prisons do not work and that treating prisoners humanely boosts their chances of reintegrating into society. “When they arrive, many of them are in bad shape,” Hoidal says. “We want to build them up, give them conﬁ dence through education and work and have them leave as better people.” Within two years of their release, only 20% of Norway’s prisoners end up back in jail. In the U.K. and the U.S., the ﬁ gure hovers between 50% and 60%. www.haldenfengsel.no

The Strongest Dad in the World Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his birth, he was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize him because there was no chance of him recovering and little hope for Rick to live a “normal” life. However, Dick and Judy soon realized that although Rick couldn’t walk or speak, he was quite astute, and in 1972 a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University built an interactive computer for Rick to communicate through. Using his head to choose letters, he could type out exactly what was on his mind. In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile beneﬁ t run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they ﬁ nished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” This realization was the beginning of what would become more than 1,000 races completed over the next 33 years, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. In a triathlon, Dick will swim while pulling Rick along behind him in a boat attached by a bungee cord, cycle with Rick on the front of a special two-seater bicycle, and then run while pushing Rick along in his custom made running chair. The 2009 Boston Marathon was ofﬁ cially Team Hoyt’s 1000th race. Rick says that if it comes down to doing one race a year, he would like it to be the Boston Marathon - his favourite race. Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet. Even though he is now 70 years old, Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon this year. Once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, “The thing I’d most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once.” www.teamhoyt.com The Giving Pledge The Giving Pledge is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death. The campaign was started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, who themselves have donated the vast majority of their wealth to charity; and while the Giving Pledge is speciﬁ cally focused on billion- aires, the idea takes its inspiration from givers of all ﬁ nancial means and backgrounds. Over 50 of the wealthiest families in America have already pledged over half of their fortunes to various causes, including Star Wars creator George Lucas and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. “People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done?” said Zuckerberg. “With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts.” “The Giving Pledge is about changing the culture of giving,” said Peter Singer, professor of bioethics in the University Centre for Human Values. “Research shows that when people know that others are giving, they are themselves more likely to give. So publicly pledging to give will encourage others to give. This holds true for billionaires and for those of us who aren’t anywhere near that level of wealth. We can all make a difference and play our part in making the world a better place.” givingpledge.org

The City that Ended Hunger “To search for solutions to hunger means to act within the principle that the status of a citizen surpasses that of a mere consumer.” CITY OF BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL Belo Horizonte, a city of 2.5 million people, once had 11% of its population living in absolute poverty, and almost 20% of its children going hungry. Then in 1993, a newly elected administration declared food a right of citizenship. Belo’s City Agency developed dozens of innovations to assure everyone the right to food, especially by weaving together the interests of farmers and consumers. It offered local family farmers dozens of choice spots of public space on which to sell to urban consumers, essentially redistributing retailer mark-ups on produce - which often reached 100% - to consumers and the farmers. Farmers’ proﬁ ts grew, since there was no wholesaler taking a cut, and poor people got access to fresh, healthy food. Another product of food-as-a- right thinking are 3 large, airy “People’s Restaurants” (Restaurante Popular) plus a few smaller venues that serve 12,000 or more people daily using mostly locally grown food for the equivalent of less than 50 cents a meal. No one has to prove they’re poor to eat in a People’s Restaurant, although about 85 percent of the diners are. The mixed clientele erases stigma and allows “food with dignity,” say those involved. Belo’s Food Security Initiatives also include extensive community and school gardens as well as nutrition classes. Plus, money the federal govern- ment contributes toward school lunches, once spent on processed, corporate food, now buys whole food mostly from local growers. A former manager within this city agency, Adriana Aranha, says, “I knew we had so much hunger in the world. But what I didn’t know when I started this, is that it’s so easy to end it.” www.worldfuturecouncil.org/future_policy_ award_ﬁ lm_en.html Doctors Ba ed by Breatharian An 82-year-old man who claims he can survive without food or drink has bafﬂ ed doctors who studied him and did not see him eat or drink anything for more than two weeks. Prahlad Jani said that he has lived for more than 70 years by absorbing water through a hole in his palate. He spent more than two weeks in April and May last year under the observation of doctors at Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad. “We studied him for 15 days with him taking no water or food,” Dr. Sudhir Shah said. “Jani gargled water and took baths, but consumed nothing.” Despite no water entering his body, urine nonetheless appeared to form in his bladder - only to be re- absorbed by the bladder walls. He has confounded the scientists. “While thin, Jani is healthy,” doctors said. “We realized that, if this whole phenomenon really exists in a human being even for 15 days, it would have immense application in unravelling secrets of medical science and its application for human welfare,” a statement from a scientiﬁ c group, that included the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, said. “Instead of ignoring this case, we selected to investigate further, in a rational and scien- tiﬁ c way. We again make it clear that the purpose of this study was not to prove or disprove a person, but to explore a possibility in science and study a new phenom- enon,” the statement said. www.sunlightenment.com Innovations that Nourish the Planet Worldwatch Institute released its report, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nour- ish the Planet, which spotlights successful agricultural innovations and unearths major successes in preventing food waste, building resilience to climate change and strengthening farming in cities. The report provides a roadmap for increased agricul- tural investment and more-efﬁ cient ways to alleviate global hunger and poverty. Draw- ing from the world’s leading agricultural experts and from hundreds of innovations that are already working on the ground, the report outlines 15 proven, environmentally sustainable prescriptions. “The progress showcased through this report will inform governments, policymakers, NGOs and donors that seek to curb hunger and poverty, providing a clear roadmap for expanding or replicating these successes elsewhere,” said Worldwatch Institute President Christopher Flavin. Serving locally raised crops to school children, for example, has proven to be an effective hunger- and poverty-reducing strat- egy in many African nations, and has strong parallels to successful farm-to-cafeteria programs in the United States and Europe. Written in clear, concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World 2011, produced with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda- tion, provides a practical vision of the innovations that will allow billions of people to feed themselves while restoring rural economies, creating livelihoods, and sustaining the natural resource base on which agriculture depends. www.worldwatch.org 8

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spirituality & the city“Shift Happens” Jacinta O’ Hara Holistic Facilitator & Full-time Student Many shifts that have taken place in my journey seem to have occurred suddenly. However, on closer examination it is obvious that a well carved out path preceded each one. Today there is much discussion about the “big shift” that is headed our way. There is a mixture of feelings around this; while some longingly await its arrival, anticipat- ing magniﬁcent expansion, others are fearfully anticipating enormous change. How do we accommodate change? Have we ever had one week in our lives identical to another? Or a day? Or even a moment? We have been in a continuous ﬂow of shifts and changes from the very moment we became manifest (and maybe before that). We can conﬁdently move forward in the knowledge that we can accommodate, assimilate, embrace and cre- ate much more change than we could ever imagine. So get a shift on, be happy!! Laura Vaughan Rehabilitation Assistant I think we are living through an incredibly momentous shift in consciousness. Within myself, I feel a growing awareness that we are more than this physical reality and of how I am creating my own reality, which empowers me to take responsibility for my life. Paradoxically, I also feel myself surrendered to the grand design of the universe and open to the mystery that is unfolding. I think this shift in myself is a reﬂection of a global shift taking place as we begin to feel the one- ness of this earth experience. Collectively, I think we are turning away from the path of destruction, selﬁshness and disconnection; examining the situation of our world and begin- ning to choose more harmoni- ous, positive and integrative options which beneﬁt all. It’s a beautiful time of becoming and I’m very happy to have chosen to be here to experience this emerging splendour. Samuel Bishop Change Agent We are but tiny droplets ﬂowing down the constant swell of change. As elements of the swell, we have the power within us to inﬂuence and transform it. I challenge myself to ﬁnd creative solutions; I try to act upon my values. I believe we are experiencing a profound shift, a reorientation in values, both personal and as a species. Many elements, such as spiritual, social and economic elements are affecting the rate of change that we are experiencing. The old system is giving way to a certain model that could be described as ‘natural economics’. We can learn to design ourselves into the natural system to take full advan- tage of this current shift. We, as a people, must learn to become more authentically empathic and compassionate. We are in a time where collabora- tion is critical; our interconnectedness must be realized in order for us to live more connected to our true values, sustainably and ethically. ﬂavors.me/samue1

Anne MackenYoga & Reiki Teacher It appears that a lot of things are changing at the same time. There is a lot of talk out there about changes in politics, ﬁnancial markets, climate and astronomy to name but a few. They can be mind boggling and difﬁcult to know how to comprehend. We all have experience of dealing with change in our lives from the moment we are born, and we are all well capable of processing this and eventually moving through it with ease. For me, during any changes in my life, the most important thing is to be still and become aware of how I feel about it all, without the hype the media are attaching to it. To truly tune into my heart and feel what it means for me. We need to process it all, uniquely and individually, as the beautifully differ- ent human beings that we are. Paul ByrneRoofer As 2012 approaches, much speculation abounds as to what will happen at the end of the Mayan calendar. This could be another Y2K event as we put our attention outside ourselves to the illusions and dramas of the outer world. All shifting of consciousness comes from within. Each one of us has a vital role to play in this world. So much has changed over the last 3 years. People are awakening from the illusion of fear and greed that seemed to possess this country and much of the world to what really matters in their life. How do we care for ourselves, our families, our communities and our world? Part of the human experience is to mature enough in love to truly empower ourselves and others. It is up to all of us to clean up what is causing fear and pain in our world. Because we’re worth it. Ciaran Ryan Healer & Nutritional Therapist I feel some big changes are taking place as planetary alignment with the universal centre occurs. I’ve realised I’ve actually been preparing for this, as have many others. I’ve been clearing energetic blocks over the last few years and healing core wounds, allowing my true self to emerge. It’s about raising and deepening vibrations and developing awareness which supports the earth’s own shift, which in turn greatly enhances my own healing and the healing of others. It’s harmonic resonance really and we’re all interconnected. It’s so exciting to see the new wave of energy science coming through as well as the emergence of grass roots move- ments who have some radical and cool ideas on how we can live in harmony with this beautiful planet. There are a lot of talented people knocking about and inspirational events being organised. These are exciting times we live in and I’m honoured to be here now.11

We have now reached the ﬁnal four Sun signs as we complete our journey around the Zodiac. If you missed the descrip- tion of your Sun sign in Part 1 or 2, feel free to have a look at it online at www. positivelife.ie SUN IN LEO The Lion July 22nd – August 23rd RULES the Heart and Back PLANETARY RULER The Sun (The God Helios and later Apollo) Leo is the third and ﬁnal ﬁre sign we meet as we move in a counter clockwise direction around the 360$ wheel of the Zodiac. It is commonly associated with the myth of Parsifal and the Holy Grail. Leaving the safety of mother behind to join the other knights in search of the Holy Grail, Parsifal embarked on a quest ﬁlled with challenges. Upon ﬁnally arriving at the castle where all were asleep, Parsifal was initially unable to ask the required question, forcing him to continue on his challenging adventures for a further twenty years. Upon return- ing to the castle with greater maturity, Parsifal asked, “Whom does the grail serve?” which caused the king and the whole village to awaken, after which Parsifal became the new ruler. On an archetypal level, the sign of Leo represents the search for the true authority within, which ultimately is astrology “The whole illusion of a separate…existence is a dream… There is no way of tell- ing people that they are all walking around shining like the sun… I suddenly saw the secret beauty…the depths of their hearts…the core of their reality… If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all of the time.” ~ Thomas Merton exploring yoursun sign ﬁnal part Leo and Aquarius, Virgo and Pisces 12

the search for the divine which our soul self is a part of. Ruled by the Sun, which we depend on for our light and heat, Leo reminds us to shine brightly at all times from our heart centre. If the Sun in Leo is unconscious, blocked or disowned, it can dim its light to avoid the envy of others whose own light is dimmed, or it can feel demanding when it seeks for reassurance of its own innate, divine specialness. In ﬁnding and owning its authority within, the Sun in Leo, with its passion, generosity and joy of life, shines easily and brightly, assist- ing all of us to open our hearts and be the individual we most are. If your Sun is in Leo, you are likely to beneﬁt from playful creativity and spontaneity. OPPOSITE: SUN IN AQUARIUS The Water Carrier Jan 20th – Feb 18th RULES Circulation and the Legs PLANETARY RULER Uranus (The Greek God Uranos) From the individuality and intui- tion of Leo, we move to the idealistic, Promethean, collective, mental realm of Aquarius. These two signs challenge each other to integrate the collective into the individual and the individual into the collective, reminding us profoundly that we are each a part of the other. Whereas the Sun needs to be the centre of the universe to beneﬁt us with its natural light and heat, the archetype of Aquarius asks us to stand back and overview the evolutionary potential for the collective as a whole. Hence, Aquarius, like Prometheus who brought ﬁre to humans, asks us to risk displeasing the Gods by bringing our greatest ideas and ideals to fruition. Here we are in the powerful realm of the mind, including the ability to channel information from beyond. If the Sun in Aquarius is uncon- scious, blocked or disowned, it may place ideals on a higher level to human interaction, forgetting that our greatest learning on this planet is ‘how we do’ what we do, rather than ‘what we do’. In ﬁnding and owning its own author- ity, the Sun in Aquarius offers us the necessary detachment from the realm of human emotions, enabling the pursuit of enlightenment for the greater evolution- ary growth of the collective (The sciences and Astrology are Aquarian pursuits). If your Sun is in Aquarius, you are likely to beneﬁt from the necessary space and freedom to pursue innovative ideas that come to you. Groups offer you intel- lectual stimulation and the potential to challenge your thinking. Integration of the strengths from both signs In combining Leo and Aquarius, the ideals of the higher mind and intellect join the warmth and compassion of the heart, offering humanity the potential to develop our thinking function to its highest potential for the purpose of Love. SUN IN VIRGO The Vestal Virgin Aug 23rd – Sept 23rd RULES the Intestines PLANETARY RULER Mercury (Hermes, Messenger of the Gods) The last earth sign, Virgo, reminds us of the intrinsic connection between mind and body. Represented by the Vestal Virgins in the ancient temples of Rome where they were dedicated to Vesta, the Goddess of Health, Virgo is deeply concerned with holistic health and well-being. Archetypally, Virgo reminds us of our human need to take time to process and digest life in order to function most efﬁciently and effectively. Like the vestal virgins, Virgo is intrinsically self-sufﬁ- cient with an innate dedication to being of service. Unlike its role as God of Crossroads in the sign of Gemini, which Mercury also rules, Hermes, as ruler of Virgo, represents an acute analytical ability. If the Sun in Virgo is unconscious, blocked or disowned, it can become isolated and intensely critical of itself and others as it mentally obsesses over details. In ﬁnding and owning its own authority, the Sun in Virgo is a natural teacher and holistic therapist, aiming to help at all times through humble service and efﬁcient dedication. If your Sun is in Virgo, you are likely to beneﬁt from a deep connec- tion with your bodily rhythms and functions. Private, quiet time in earthy nature is beneﬁcial, to digest and process information. OPPOSITE: SUN IN PISCES The Fish Feb 18th – March 20th RULES the Feet PLANETARYRULER Neptune (The God Dionysus) Here, we have now reached the ﬁnal sign in the wheel of the Zodiac. From the Aries ﬁre child, we have travelled to the Pisces wise woman/man. In oppos- ing the earthly bound realm of Virgo, watery Pisces seeks to dissolve all, reminding us that we are here but for a brief earthly visit before returning to the pre- and post-incarnation dimension we came from. On an archetypal level, Pisces reminds us that as spirit in human form we are all one. Through the Neptunian realms of the imagination and spiritual- ity, we have the potential to remember our innate connection with the divine. If the Sun in Pisces is unconscious, blocked or disowned, it can seek a recon- nection with spirit through the ‘spirit’ of the bottle or other substances rather than through music, art or spirituality - thereby literally dissolving itself. In ﬁnd- ing and owning its own authority, the Sun in Pisces offers immense compas- sion and empathy with an immeasurable ability to forgive our ﬂawed humanity. The Sun in Pisces is naturally sensitive to energies around it as well as to sound and colour vibrations. Integration of the strengths from both signs In coming together, these two signs form a healing container in which body and spirit are truly united for the purpose of healing the collective. The analytical ability of Virgo is aided by the immense compassion of Pisces, enabling spiritual insight to ﬂow. Dear Readers, Thank you for taking the time to read these astrology articles. I would like to invite you to send me your thoughts on which astrological topics you would enjoy reading about in future issues. Margaret Gray oﬀers Psychological Astrology consultations to individuals and couples in Ireland, Hawaii and California. She also teaches seminars and workshops. For further information see www.astrologypsychological.com or contact Margaret at margaret@astrologypsychological.com

+ROLVWLF(GXFDWLRQ 7UDLQLQJ IRUDUHZDUGLQJQHZFDUHHU 1XWULWLRQ +HDOWK&RDFKLQJ \HDU 'LSORPDLQ1XWULWLRQDO7KHUDS\ \HDUV 6WXG\RQHZHHNHQGSHUPRQWK6HSWHPEHU-XQH Ҋ+HDOWKLVWKH7UXH:HDOWKҋ 6WXGHQW&OLQLFV2QJRLQJ Nutrition & Health Irish Institute of &RQWDFWXVIRULQIRRQRXUSURJUDPPHVRUFOLQLFV ,5,6+,167,787(2)1875,7,21 +($/7+ :22'/$1'3$5. E\5DPDGD+RWHO 6287+(51 &526652$'%5$<&2:,&./2: ZZZLLQKQHWLQIR#LLQKQHW A life-altering, experiential 2-day workshop providing SCIENTIFICALLY-PROVEN techniques to activate the body’s natural healing abilities and facilitate renewed health & wellness. rough the use of visualisation, imagination, positive thinking and meditation, you can programme your brain to correct thoughts and behaviours that get in the way of experiencing the health and life you desire. “ I have used The Silva Method of visualisation for many years. It has helped me overcome illnesses and accidents, and avoid surgery. I urge you to attend Silva’s training sessions”Dr. Wayne Dyer, author “The Power of Intention” “I would say that the Silva Method is the most powerful single tool that I have to offer the patient.”Dr. O. Carl Simonton, Oncologist and pioneer of Imagery Therapy for Cancer Facilitated by Dr. Alma Quinones-Prone and Dr. Denis Prone, Psychologists and Researchers Bookings & information:www.silvamethod.ie. Enquiries:info@silvamethod.ie or call 086-3199215 SILVASELF-HEALING TRAINING creating renewed health easily and naturally 9th & 10th, April 2011, DUBLIN THE NEW SILVA SELF-HEALING programme SPECIFICALLY designed to unleash the healing power of your brain & mind and re-ignite your body’s natural healing abilities. $UH\RXVXŊHULQJIURP6WUHVV" 'R\RXKDYHSUREOHPV6OHHSLQJ" ,V\RXU6HOI&RQÀGHQFHORZ" $UH\RXIHHOLQJ'RZQ" $OORZXVKHOS\RX Atlantis Centre Clonroe Upper, Gorey Co Wexford t:: 053 9428717 e:: info@atlantiscentre.ie w:: www.atlantiscentre.ie We are just a 50 minute drive from Dublin 18 o the M11 Located in a Private, Tranquil, Peaceful Setting to allow you unwind

Imagine how brazenly you’d live your life if you could erase every negative experience you’d ever had. If you had no memory of failure, disappointment or loss, wouldn’t you be fearlessly optimis- tic, daring and expressive? Fear is not only the single most self-defeating factor in our lives, it’s also the most futile and exhausting. Programmed into us at an early age, fear may help keep us safe from physical harm, but it also prevents us from being fully ourselves. All fears have appetites and demand to be fed. They’re constantly on the lookout for evidence to support their existence - and they ﬁnd plenty in a society that’s ﬁlled with insecurities over money, jobs, relationships and health. Fears pervade every aspect of our lives, often cleverly disguising themselves as common sense or the most prudent option. But the good news is that they’re easy to track down because they all live in the same place: inside your head. You can choose to make them comfy and welcome or you can evict them and free up that space for more supportive guests - guests that won’t keep you awake at night, give you indigestion or discourage you from being outrageously yourself. Since fear is based on perception, and perception is often based on limiting beliefs, our fear is rarely justiﬁed (unless you’re about to jump out of a plane and you forgot to check your parachute). It’s a legacy that gets handed down from generation to generation, but holding on to it won’t make your ancestors proud. HOW TO STOP FEEDING YOUR FEARS 1 Validate yourself. Since your fears live in your mind, you control how much airtime they get. Are you reinforcing your fears rather than validating yourself? Do you put yourself down, telling yourself you can’t do something, you’re not good enough or you’re bound to get hurt, rejected or worse? Do your insecurities stop you from fulﬁlling a dream, going out on a date or even just accepting a compliment? If you weren’t lovingly validated growing up, you need to give yourself this essential life-afﬁrming gift. Validate yourself every chance you get - in your head and in your life. Counter all negative self-talk with a positive valida- tion of your ability to do or be whatever you wholeheartedly choose. Feel the fear... then tell it to take a hike. 2 Banish the saboteurs. If our fears are running the show, we often resort to comfort foods, smoking, drinking or drugs - anything that will dull the pain, stress or anxiety. We put a lid on our feelings so that we can’t feel just how much it matters that we’ve failed in some way. Yet suppressing our emotions means suppressing our energy and keeping ourselves stuck in limbo. Only by removing these props can we get to the root of what’s really going on, since every emotional prop represents a thwarted potential. We may think of them as necessary coping mechanisms in a world seemingly beyond our control, but they’re a form of emotional denial and, ironi- cally, a form of self-denial that prevents us from having - and maybe even knowing - what we really want. Break the cycle and let go of these unhealthy dependencies, let yourself feel what really matters, and get the support you need to ﬁgure out what you’re switching off, so you can start living life fully switched on. 3 Get connected. Join or start a meet-up group (see www.meetup.com), take up break dancing, buy a talking parrot, become a Big Brother/Sister, go to a com- edy club - do whatever it takes to stir up your emotions and help you connect with others. Sharing yourself is another way of validating your unique contribution - and of discovering passions you never knew you had. Start saying No to your fears and saying Yes to fearless fulﬁlment. For more info, email olga@olgasheean.com or visit www.olgasheean.com The Eternal Springtime of the Fearless Mind positive power 15 by Olga Sheean

the pluck of the Irish By Eve Johnson positive business 16 www.waihibush.co.nz www.kerinsdistribution.ie My Irish eyes are smiling as I wake up with a view of the snow capped Southern Peaks of the South Island, New Zealand; and from my organic farm in the lee of the mountains I am still smiling 5 years later. We emigrated for affordable oppor- tunities, to realise our dream of owning an organic farm, for my husband to drop out of the crazy corporate world, and for me to still be in business but a less stressed environment. New Zealand’s South Island ticked all the boxes: 1000 people on an island the size of Ireland. Lush, rich farmland as far as the eye could see and affordable without needing to sell a body part. No trafﬁc to battle or motorways to contend with and the Kiwis are welcoming and hospitable (well, they all come from Europe, don’t they). We soon found that they give you 100% on meeting you and it’s up to you to lose it. However, it wasn’t that easy, and getting a job on arrival was an uphill struggle. It really is who you know on the South Island and I knew nobody, and as for employing a woman who was 5ft, had red hair (with maybe a tinge of that redhead attitude) and was educated overseas was a deﬁnite “no no.” Not defeated, I went door knocking to the organic industry as a seasoned man- ager in international food, banking and ﬁnance, the call centre industry, as well as consulting. My broad skill base coupled with my ability to ‘talk the hind legs off a donkey’ was a small business’s dream! David Musgrave at Functional Whole Foods snapped me up and my wonderful journey began with Waihi Bush ﬂax seed oil. I don’t think he’s regretted it. From the slopes of the Alps and Waihi Bush organic farm where the pretty blue ﬂower of Linseed is harvested in late summer, to the picturesque factory where we cold press the extra virgin oil, to the ﬁnished product tasting fantastic, it has been a healthy journey. I have met some amazing organic growers from all over the world who settled in New Zealand because of the rural and agricultural opportuni- ties, and whom are passionate about good health and well-being through food. I am blown away with the heartfelt testimonials from Kiwis, where the oil has healed them from eczema and dry skin to heart problems, the entrepreneurial health shops that are our channel to market, and great practitioners that have championed our brand for 20 years and voted it one of the top ten health food products in New Zealand. All of this keeps me motivated, engaged and passionate. Putting my good redhead attitude to the test, I fought the Therapeutic Bill that was looking to make the natural health industry regulate as a medicine with astronomical costs and pharmaceutical regulations - We Won! It is so much easier here to make a difference, and to be heard was cathartic. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise have also opened up some fantastic opportunities and partnerships for export these last 18 months which has seen the business grow and prosper from Japan to the Czech Republic and now into Ireland, working with entrepreneur Declan Kerins of Kerins Pharmacies, who set up Kerins Distribution. It’s been great to work closely with these markets, and more so for me as it’s that part of me still being at home. So I am now settled on my organic farm, with a happy husband who has taken to farming like a bee to honey. I have a healthy lifestyle and outlook on life and I can engage my passion in organic health and well-being. “I am blown away with the heartfelt testimonials from Kiwis, where the oil has healed them from eczema and dry skin to heart problems” 16

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by Mary Berkery What does it mean to feel beautiful? To fully express one’s attractiveness in all its variety? Where does the idea of the perfect ﬁgure/face come from? One of the many turning points in my journey to new realisations was at the Notting Hill Carnival in London in the late 80’s. Watching those African women move, dance and sing through the streets; many were three or four times my size. Yet, they fully exuded conﬁdence in their beauty and connectedness to their bodies. They wore clothes that showed their curvy ﬁgures and danced in full celebration of who they were as women. At that time in my life, I was teaching Beauty Therapy and Body Massage. Part of the curriculum was showing how to measure height and weight to get the body mass index and check if the client was overweight according to this method. Also, waist and hips and bust had to be in perfect proportion according to a rule as to how a body should be perfectly proportioned. Treatments then incorporated machines, lotions and massage administered to the excess fat areas. Standing there in Kensington Park Road in London that August was a total contradiction to what my training was promoting as a perfect body and beau- tiful ﬁgure. I saw joy and beauty in those sensual women dancing in the streets, in full celebration of their feminine bodies no matter what size and how curvy they were. “When is a woman most beautiful?” That question was asked of me by Faith, my mentor and guide, when I told her I’d embarked on a beauty training career. “I do not know,” I replied. “ When she is totally herself,” Faith answered. Magazines and fashion advertise- ments show ﬂawless ﬁgures and faces. I know no one that has this perfect body or appearance or even home! These physical images can get to us and we can start feel- ing that we will never be attractive enough or good enough; that we are ﬂawed in some way. The Aramaic word for “perfect” translates as all-inclusive or complete. One is “perfect” according to this culture of the Near East when one includes all of who they are. Deepak Chopra says in his book, The Path to Love, that someone is “most attractive when they are comfortable with their own imperfection and weakness.” People who are comfortable with themselves, who are accepting of themselves, who can embrace their weaknesses and gifts with equanimity, exude a radiance and an ease within their own skin that is most attractive. Do you look in the mirror or stand on the weighing scales and, according to some external measuring rod, deem yourself acceptable or not acceptable to yourself or others? When we do this, we are constantly ﬁghting with ourselves using comparisons and self-criticisms. We never fully step into who we are and live that in all its richness and colour. Daily self care and acceptance, learning discipline from a place of love within ourselves is the antidote to this and the start of our fully showing up as who we are. When this attitude is embedded in our souls, then daily rituals of body nutrition/exercise, skin care and soul awareness become second nature. The following questions may help to stimulate refection: What parts of my physical body do I reject or » feel ashamed of? Could this be different? If so, how? What exercise and movement does my body » like? How do I fully express who I am with the » clothes and colours that I wear? Do I eat what my body needs rather than » following addictions to sugar, caffeine and alcohol? What cosmetics do I use to fully express » my radiance and soul rather than cover and camouﬂage? How do I care for my hair as an expression of » my vitality and sensuality? Some suggestions to start healthy habits to awaken your own beauty and vitality are: Have a monthly body massage.» Start alkalizing your diet with fresh juices » and raw vegan meals. Give away or sell old clothes that no longer » express who you are. And ﬁnally, ask yourself and your good » friends what is most attractive about you. The answers will delight and expand your awareness of yourself as beautiful in this world. Enjoy! awaken to your beauty positive beauty 18 Mary will be giving a half-day seminar on Saturday March 26th - “Juicy Beautiful Woman” A day on raw alkalizing juices for vitality, with holistic personal care practices for radiance and beauty. For more info, contact mary@livingbeauty.ie

Nature’s Treasures Transformed for You Committed to Natural Excellence Using only Natural Organic ingredients our unique products are specially designed to be pure and beneficial for all skin types. Dr.Hauschka Ltd., Ireland, are now the sole distributors for the full range of Dr.Hauschka products in the Republic of Ireland. With this comes a special responsibilty, so we are pledging to provide support and create greater awareness for these unique organic products, which won at The Sunday Times prestigious Beauty Awards in 2010. Dr.Hauschka Ltd., Ireland, Tel: 01-862-7250. Unit 4, Airways Ind. Est., Santry, Dublin 17 www.facebook.com/Dr.Hauschka,Ireland The Sunday Times on Dr.Hauschka... “... perhapsthemostfamousandrevered ofalltheethicalbrandsonthemarket.” Setting the Goal: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities Lecture by Duane O’Kane Held captive in all obstacles is opportunity. Opportunity reveals itself if you The Awakening – 3 Day Experiential Workshop Wake upto a life filled with passionandpurpose....... The Awakening is a creative, empowering, process oriented weekend, focusing in Dates: Friday 25th March (1pm) to Sunday 27th March (6pm) 2011 {Residential} Location:Dominican Retreat and Pastoral Centre, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24 €450 (incl. food & accom.) Contact: Shirley O’ Connor - shirleyoconnor@yahoo.com 087-901 2345 www.clearmind.com Lecture by Duane O’Kane Date: Wednesday, 23rd of March, 7.30pm Location: Carmel hall, Carmelite Centre, Aungier Street, Dublin 2 Cost: €10 Contact: Shirley O’ Connor - shirleyoconnor@yahoo.com 087-901 2345 000"+%',+0$"-!'" - +%'3,0"-!'0+ )+(.+,"&)(+-+,0!(%,%+,' +-"%+,'(+ '"0((, .)+((,+0(()+)+-"(' *.")&'--(-! +",!+$- %%(.+)+(.-,+-!"%%1,(.+ "+%1-+(+ '"0!+)(,,"% (%%'ŗ+%1 +,,ŗ(.--+ŗ((", (((0+ŗ(('.-"%ŗ (#"++",)(0+ ..&(0+ŗ(0+ŗ,*."-(0+ ,&(0+ŗ!",ŗ)"+.%"'(0+-%-, .%++",ŗ "%%",$4$,ŗ+$+,%"/(,&+1 +$+,5"22 %/(.+ŗ)"+"%"2+ŗ) --" !- +,,(0+ŗ6")(0+ŗ /1+.) %%(0+ŗ&(0+ŗ,!0 '!(0+ +")!%(0+ŗ(,-

By Evelien Van Amerongen Because you’re constantly reacting to the world, it’s easy to notice what is happen- ing around you. You respond to what you read in a letter from a friend or what you see on the evening news. Even choosing not to respond evokes a reaction in your body. You are part of that world. You’re touched by everything that happens. Think of the WHOLE WORLD as made up of interrelating parts and you are one of those parts. You, as a WHOLE PERSON, are also made up of interrelating parts that are affecting each other, constantly moni- tored and regulated by our “inner doctor” who is the President of your being. These aspects of who you are work together like members of a TEAM. For your team to be effective, each member must have its needs met and must be able to work in harmony with the other team members. When one team member has a problem, the other members are affected. Your life gets out of balance. IT IS TIME TO TAKE STOCK OF YOUR LIFE, RE-EVALUATE AND RE-ELECT YOUR “INNERDOCTOR”! Often, we see our TEAM members struggling on their own and, rather than listening to our “inner doctor”, they loose their ability to take appropriate orders to bring balance. Your awareness of your interacting inner TEAM is a powerful tool which you can use to ﬁgure out what might work best to get things back into balance and harmony. TAKING THE FIRST STEP Once you have determined your per- sonal wellness goals, it is time to decide what changes you must make to achieve them. Be patient with yourself. Creating wellness is an ongoing process. You can reach your wellness goals, even difﬁcult ones, one step at a time. The most important step is the ﬁrst one. Ask yourself: which change will beneﬁt me the most? Are you willing to make this change? If so, get started on your path to wellness by making this your ﬁrst step. 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR HEALTH Practice a beneﬁcial activity more » frequently. You could remember to smile more often, especially at people who look like they need cheering up. Launch a new activity which is beneﬁ-» cial. You might stop at a park on your way home from work and take a few minutes to relax and unwind. Replace an unhealthy choice with a » beneﬁcial one. Instead of ordering a car- bonated beverage or another cup of coffee, have a glass of water or fruit juice. Eliminate a harmful choice.» If you are a smoker, quit. This could be the most important health decision you ever make. Reduce harmful practices gradually.» If you have a strong sweet tooth and are not ready to completely eliminate sugar from your diet, just eat less of it as a start. CALLING ON THE REINFORCEMENTS Although the decision to change your lifestyle to support wellness must come from you, there are many sources avail- able to help you along the way. The more you learn about health issues and wellness, the easier it will be for you to know which changes to make and the best way to implement those changes. Each of your inner TEAM members have their own unique needs and therefore therapeutic modality to support their func- tion. The ISHSKO CENTRE has a unique approach to helping you assess which TEAM members in your being are out of kilter, and offers you a multidisciplinary approach to both diagnostics and treatment. We provide our patients with a broad understanding of their health issues, deducted from the interdiscipli- nary team assessment and laboratory values, and give access to a variety of specialised treatments dedicated to each of your TEAM members, offering support on your journey back to optimum health. So, are you ready to take the ﬁrst step towards optimum health and happi- ness? Take your health in your own hands today! better lifegift for a www.mercuryfreedentistry.eu20

better life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uruDev has been a MASTERofYOGIC HEALING since 1989.Acclaimed in America and Europe as one of the greatest healers of our time. He is responsible for the Int. School of Sat healers in Europe. ATraining has now begun in Ireland. ENJOY AVERY INSPIRINGWEEKEND AND COME AWAY WITH HEAlINGTECHNIQUESTHATWILL BENEFIT YOU AND GIVEYOU POWERFULTOOLS TO HELP OTHERS One and a half day HEALING WORKSHOP Taking place on Friday eve and Saturday May 13 and 14 at e Open Mind Yoga Centre, 95 - 98 Pearse St, Dublin 2. For all information go to www.satnamrasayan.ieor contact Har Kirat at 0863722653-HarKiratKaur@ireland.com

In my explorations of healing modali- ties and nutritional approaches, I have come across a wide variety of therapies, supplements, tinctures and mindsets all designed to have a beneﬁ cial effect on the body, mind and soul. Clearly, I am not alone in this exploration, as indicated by the tens of billions spent globally each year on natural and alternative healing products and therapies. While many of these approaches can be quite effective, ﬁ nding the right one for each individual can prove to be time consuming and costly. But does getting and staying healthy have to require spending a lot of time and money? No, not at all. All we have to do is come back to basics to support the power of the body’s own mechanisms to function optimally from the inside out, which is the most natural form of healing there is. One approach that stands head and shoulders above the rest is a healthy, internal alkaline-acidity (or pH) balance. Simply put, pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline a solution is, measured on a scale from 0 – 14. A pH of 7 is consid- ered neutral, below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline. Our bodies are solutions made up of 98% water that function optimally in a pH range of 7.36 to 7.45. When the solutions that feed the cells, tissues, and organs of our bodies fall outside this range; the body begins to struggle with processes needed to maintain health and well-being. The most common pH imbalance is over acidity, also known as Low Grade Metabolic Acidosis. Aci- dosis develops when the food we eat is predominantly acid-forming; when our water contains acid forming compounds (e.g. chlorine); and when lifestyle factors stress the body and mind. Over time, this condition can become chronic and signiﬁ cantly impact our body’s natural ability to perform essential duties to keep us in balance. This sets the foundation for conditions such as fatigue, dimin- ished immune function, inﬂ ammation, osteoporosis, premature aging, digestive imbalance, parasites, mineral loss and low thyroid function. When our physical systems are not functioning optimally, our emotional and energetic beings are also affected which can lead to emotional distress and decreased vitality. So, what can we do on a daily basis to support our bodies in maintaining a healthy acid-alkaline balance? Since our internal pH is mainly determined by what we eat, the simplest way is to adjust our diets to include a majority of alkalizing foods and minimize the taking in of acid forming foods. One important point here is that the effects foods have on our body pH are not related to the pH of the food in pure form, but instead by the by-products of their metabolism within the body. For example, citrus fruits, which are acidic in whole form, contain potassium citrate which breaks down into potassium bicarbo- nate and has an alkalizing effect on the body. Alternatively, high-protein foods are metabolized to produce a residue of sulphuric acid and are thus acid-forming. The general rule is anything with a high protein, sugar or fat content will be acid-forming while fruits, vegeta- bles, nuts and seeds will be alkalizing. Examples of alkalizing foods are: fruits (citrus, melons, berries, apples, etc.), green vegetables, carrots, potatoes, garlic, almonds, quinoa, wild rice, herbal teas, sunﬂ ower and sesame seeds, cashews, olive and ﬂ axseed oils. Examples of acid forming foods include: alcohol, coffee, milk (cow, rice, soy), bread (white ﬂ our, rye, whole wheat, corn, bran), rice, red meat, ﬁ sh, poultry, eggs, butter, cheese, pasta and sugar. Paying attention to the foods we eat and how they stack up on the acid- alkaline scale can go a long way in helping you obtain and maintain a healthy acid-alkaline balance. The beneﬁ ts I have observed include emotional equilibrium, weight loss, increased energy, mental clarity and disappearance of dis-ease states. A few small changes can make a world of difference when we bring aware- ness to the basics of eating well, drinking pure water and breathing fresh air. Come back to basics and support the body from the inside out. Julie Williams is a natural health practitioner, seeing clients in Greystones and Dublin as well as teaching her work. For more information, visit www.quantum-evolution.com a healthy pHbalance By Julie Williams 22

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Date Course Jan 28-30 Holotropic BreathworkTM March4-6 The Shaman’s Journey April 1-3 Shamanic Practitioners I May 6-8 Shamanic Practitioners II May 27-29 Earth, Sea and Sky Woman June 16-19 Summer Solstice July 8-10 Shamanic Practitioners III Aug 5-7 The Shamans Journey Aug26-28 Shamanic Practitioners IV Sep23-25 Spirit of Folk Festival Jan 14-16 The Silent Path June 4 Shamanism and Ecology July 22-24 Holotropic Breathwork Nov 4-6 Holotropic BreathworkTM Nov 25-27 The Shaman’s Journey Dec 16-18 Winter Solstice Oct 5-9 Advanced Shamanic Practicioners Course Dec 31 New Years Eve The Irish Centre for Shamanic Studies Course Programme 2011 ZZZVKDPDQLVPLUHODQGFRP ($57+ &20081,7< 63,5,7 &RXUVHVIDFLOLWDWHGE\0DUWLQ'XII\0,$ +,30,$&3($3Transpersonal Psychothera- pist and Shamanic Teacher $OOFRXUVHVKHOGDW'XQGHUU\3DUN 1DYDQ&R0HDWK &DOO LQIR#VKDPDQLVPLUHODQGFRP ZZZVKDPDQLVPLUHODQGFRP . €15 for employed €10 for unemployed/OAP/Students ,]LUPUNZMHJPSP[H[LKI`4HY[PU+\ă`40(*740(/07,(77Z`JOV[OLYHWPZ[:OHTHUPJ *V\UZLSSVYHUK;LHJOLYHZ^LSSHZ]HYPV\ZN\LZ[ZWLHRLYZ ,4(03!PUMV'ZOHTHUPZTPYLSHUKJVT 9:=7!^^^TLL[\WJVTZWPYP[PU[OLJP[` >,)!^^^ZOHTHUPZTPYLSHUKJVT 7/65,! ...the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and the ¿HOGRI7UDQVSHUVRQDO3V\FKRORJ\"...exploring the origins of 6KDPDQLF7UDGLWLRQV ERWKWKHRUHWLFDOO\DQG H[SHULHQWLDOO\" -RLQWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQ HYHU\VHFRQG:HGQHVGD\ at 6SLULWLQ7KH&LW\'XEOLQ&LW\&HQWUH ZZZPHHWXSFRPVSLULWLQWKHFLW\ Interested in... ...afun and VRFLDEOHHQYLUR PHQWWRZDWFKHGXFDWLRQDOGRFX mentaries and hear interesting OHFWXUHV" ! ! " # $ % & ! Slí an Chroí SHAMANISM WALKING THE PATHWAY OF THE HEART For more information contact us: www.slianchroi.ie or www.pathwayoftheheart.ie Email: johnandkaren@slianchroi.ie Tel: 01 670 4905. Nature Strength Community Growth Courage Vision With John Cantwell & Karen Ward shamanic healers, teachers, ceremonialists & authors Introduction To Healing Shamanism1 Day Workshop The Medicine SpiralAncient Path For Development, Health & Mastery The Healers SpiralProfessional Training For Healing Others Mastery Classes&ŽƌĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚKĨ,ŽůŝƐƟĐWŽǁĞƌ One To One HealingEnergy Medicine & Shamanic Counselling Slí An Chroí Centre, SmithﬁeldGatherings For People Of The Heart Samhain & Seasonal CeremoniesSlí An Chroí Centre & Dunderry Park International Gatherings2011: Netherlands & USA International Shamanic ExpeditionsϮϬϭϭ͗WĞƌƵʹ͞/ƌŝƐŚͲ/ŶĐĂŶĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶ͟ ^ůşŶŚƌŽşŝƐĂǀĞƐƐĞůĨŽƌƚŚĞŝŶĚŝŐĞŶŽƵƐ/ƌŝƐŚƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶŽĨƐŽƵƌĐŝŶŐƐƵƉĞƌŝŽƌ ŚĞĂůƚŚ͕ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůŚĞĂůŝŶŐ͕ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌŵĞŶƚ͕ŵĞĂŶŝŶŐ͕ǁŝƐĚŽŵĂŶĚ^ƉŝƌŝƚƵĂůŽŶĞŶĞƐƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚEĂƚƵƌĞ͘dŚĞǁĂǇŽĨƚŚĞƐŚĂŵĂŶŝƐŶŽŶƌĞůŝŐŝŽƵƐ͕ĚŽŐŵĂĨƌĞĞ ĂŶĚǁĞůĐŽŵĞƐƚŚŽƐĞŽĨĂůůĨĂŝƚŚƐĂŶĚŶŽŶĞ͘ le brí na taise - with the energy of compassion

25 “Mything Something?” Firstly, reclaim the word myth. Today, most of us collude that it refers to an often amusing falsehood, a product of a suspect imagination not to be trusted. Yet, there was a time when reference to the mythic aspect of life made us really sit up. Not so long ago in our history, a teacher, a business leader, a politician, a spiritual mentor or a physician were all required to have mastery of mythic mapping, i.e. the ability to see the mythic dimension of our lives. When they offered new learning or a persuasive argument, they navigated and negotiated the archetypal energies that could be harnessed to bring about the positive change they sought. What are these archetypal energies? Essentially, they are sources of power that underpin all human motivation and behaviour. They are active whether we are aware of them or not and they can be regarded as “the gods and goddesses of the world”. We are familiar with how societies before us arranged a pantheon of these characters, none more so than the Irish, the Greeks and Romans. Of course, we consider ourselves more progressive now and, along with monotheism and a devotion to rationalism, at our own peril, we choose not to look at an orbit of core energies that inform what we agree is our reality. If you want to really understand reality, you’ve got to be able to grasp the mythic activity behind it - informing it. If you want to change that reality, you’ve got to start with changing the myth - pure and simple. A woman came to our clinic recently, seeking a solution to a deep frustration. She couldn’t choose a partner who brought with him what she yearned for: stability and passion. She had dated several men in the past three years, conﬁdent that each relationship was a superior choice. We began by looking at one man in particular, her archetypal man. We did this not by proﬁling her “Mr. Perfect”, but by journeying together to assemble the attributes of what she regarded as being male (We called him “God of Man”). Journeying a second time we assembled her archetypal woman (calling her “Goddess of Woman”). What my client now began to see were the forces of maleness and femaleness to which she was subscribing. From this new overview, she discovered incompatibilities between the two, and then, most importantly, actively changed to a different god and god- dess that were in harmony. On the literal level of her life, my client grafted positive changes into herself - informed by the new goddess - and she shifted her criteria for choosing a male mate - inspired by the energies of the new god. To this day, she is in a healthy, long-term relationship. As she says herself, “I’d never have made my new moves unless I’d changed the myth I’d assumed was the best. It wasn’t, and I kept making choices that I see now were never going to work.” We live in a world that is peeling, deeply and fast. No one is immune from the impact, but we are left with the choice to be reactive or proactive? To be truly proactive, claim the place of the shaman. Find the perspective and accept the right to identify gods and goddesses. Stand momentarily aside from the frenzy of anger and fear generated by the current collapse and sudden hardship. Identify and proﬁle the archetypes pulling the strings behind the current situation (world archetypes). Now step back from yourself. Look at your responses and behaviours to the social changes and, behind these, attempt to see the god/god- dess to whom you have given allegiance (personal archetype). Is your personal archetype the most powerful choice in dealing with the world archetypes? If not, like my client, call in an alternative one and let him/her inspire you into positive personal change. Do you want to call in new world archetypes too? Do so respect- fully. Offer them ceremony. Then look out for the people and organisa- tions already tuning into your new world archetypes. , ’ . , . By John Cantwell John Cantwell and Karen Ward are directors of Slí An Chroí Shamanism. www.slianchroi.ie www.pathwayoftheheart.ie “If you want to really understand reality, you’ve got to be able to grasp the mythic activity behind it - informing it.”

Sound healing is my passion, and a path I’ve trodden full of love and conviction. This métier has been shaped alongside thirty years of voice coaching Actors, members of Royalty, Politicians and CEO’s. They have all been gently encouraged to discover their ‘signature note’ – the song of their soul – so as to resonate optimum authenticity and gravitas from their being. Living thus means we transform the sound of words, we move them from being merely cerebral tools into being magnetic sonic keys that resonate deep in the hearts, souls and bodies of those who listen; just like the Senachai weaving their magical stories from the enchantment of the natural world. The temple of sound healing known as The Alchemy of Voice was ﬁrst inspired during a remarkable encounter with Angels during the Har- monic Convergence of August 1987. Up to this point in life, I’d revered Angels as beings of light that lovingly ful- ﬁlled God’s creation through the profound gifts of mercy and grace. Little did I know that I would experience a meeting with their force, even though since childhood I’d felt especially close to Archangel Michael. From eight years of age, whenever I held an image of Michael in mind, unusual phenomena would occur, such as the disap- pearance of personal objects or the sudden witness of roses where there hadn’t been ﬂowers before. Then during the weekend of the Harmonic Convergence in 1987 as I medi- tated on Glastonbury Tor - the world’s heart chakra - I became aware of a series of such high-pitched harmonics that they appeared to move like lasers through the right side of my head and down through my body, searing my heart. Startled, I opened my smarting eyes and saw twelve brightly coloured Orbs suspended in the air around me, exuding total love. Hoping that I wasn’t delusional, for it became apparent no one else saw these Orbs, I stared at their exquisite brilliance and heard a deep voice of such sincerity that told me a communion of beings known as the Angels of Atlantis would bequeath me - a body of knowledge concerning the power of sound in creation which holds the central belief that each of us pos- sesses a point of harmony known as our ‘signature note’. The treasure in this notion means that when we ﬁnd our note we become self- empowered, and when we ﬁnd this power we ﬁnd the archetypal key of our sovereignty. Nourished thus, the world becomes a different place to be in, for our lives become rich with vitality, harmony and well-being. Consequently, the stress levels associated with the ﬁxation we have with the Yang force of Doing become more in balance with the innate sense of Being. We move from sounding in our heads alone, feeling the body full of breath force, and learn to speak from our hearts, where the harmony of our signature note lies within a secret chamber. “If words arise from the heart, they will enter the heart. If words arise from the tongue alone, they will not pass beyond the ears.” Our ancient peoples knew this, for they lived in a world where machine noise didn’t exist as we know it – for example, the Elizabethans wrote: “All speech is decorated silence.” Before this, the Greek and Roman compulsion for oratory drew them into the central belief that acquir- ing ‘persona’ (meaning ‘through sound’) would bring veracity to creative exchange. Indeed, in most of the world’s cultures there is a central belief that all of creation came about through sound. We hear this reﬂected in the scientiﬁc paradigm of the Big Bang. I feel this explosion of vast proportion arose from a ‘big silence’ within the ﬁeld of consciousness we know as the Universe. The legacy of this brief interlude suggests that if we can live our note and its myriad resonances, arising like sparkling light from crystal, perhaps something truly noble can be opened with our lives where the heart speaks forth its truth hitherto not revealed. Stewart was Head of Voice at the Webber Douglas Academy from 1980-1997, then Master of Voice at Shakespeare’s Globe from 1997-2007. Stewart is also an inveterate Sound Healer, Seer and Angel Medium. www.thealchemyofvoice.com26 the alchemy of voice By Stewart Pearce

withTufxbsu!Qfbsdf stewart@thealchemyofvoice.comwww.thealchemyofvoice.com Bohfmjd!Tpvoe!!Ifbmjoh!Qspdfttft! These workshops and one-to-one sessions inspire sound healing and leading edge spiritual intelligence, to enchant the compassion of the heart, body and soul to super-coherence. The work was given by divine transmission in 1987, and for many years Stewart has worked internationally as a Master of Voice, Sound Healer, Angel Facilitator,Clairvoyant, guiding people through the transformation and magic of the song of their soul. Stewart facilitates through his own private practice and at the College of Psychic Studies in London. !"#"$$% &$'" Heal Your Life You Can For Men An all new men’s retreat based on the life-changing philosophy of Louise L. Hay ~ Louise L. Hay “The power is within you. It always has been. How far are you willing to expand the horizons of your thinking and stir that power awake?” 17-21 July, 2011, Kippure Estate (Near Dublin) Feeling adrift in a turbulent sea of changing economics, values, roles, and relationships? Want to regain a sense of control and a positive direction? Gain the essential tools and skills required to seize the rudder and set your own course. Awaken the power of your authentic self: contact us now... Fergal McDonald: 086 830 1122 - Ireland or Rick Nichols: 001 760 728-8783 - US Facilitated by Hay House authorised international trainer, Rick Nichols, and licensed HYL teacher, Fergal McDonald. www.HealYourLifeTraining.com/men EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT AVAILABLE/SEATING LIMITED TO 20 Heal Your Life Heal Your Life is an internationally recognized and registered trademark of Hay House, Inc. ***FOR MEN ONLY *** ®

28 “It’s easy. All you need is Love.” The BeatlesLove

I believe in love. I believe it is inseparable from the cosmic ﬁeld of energy which gives birth to the entire universe. It is comparable to the love of a parent for their child and, in a sense, that is what we are - Children of Love. Whoever you believe yourself to be and however you judge yourself to be right now, you are loved. This love is beyond your control. There is nothing you can do to stop it or lose it or fall out of favour with it. It is unconditional and unaffected by anything you can think or say or do. The only thing we can control is how much of it we feel and how much of it we allow to ﬂow through us in each moment. We believe we are separate from it in the same way that we believe we are separate from each other, but we are one with this love. We are One and we are Love. The life we live is a life we choose, and our all-knowing, all-loving source accepts our choices. With love comes freedom, with freedom comes choice and with choice comes life incarnate. Life can be as pleasurable or as pain- ful as we choose, and it is because we are loved unconditionally that we are allowed to make the choice for ourselves. Each person chooses something different, and that way our One source gets to experience life in many ways. It has no preferences as to what should incarnate next as it knows of the inﬁnite abundance which is the true nature of the physical universe. We are born into an illusion of separation which affects our perception of reality, limiting our view of life into a one person point of view. However, at times, we catch glimpses of the true nature of life which broadens our perspective and our perception and allows more of the oneness of love and life to ﬂow through us. At these times, we can feel the unconditional love which is felt for all beings all the time. This kind of unconditional love is the most powerful healing tool I have worked with so far in my life. Negative judgements about ourselves (by ourselves or others) can cause us to choose pain and by Patrick Bridgeman suffering in our lives - as if we deserve it. Stress can cause disease, and pressure to change can cause defensiveness, but the energy of unconditional love helps people to let go of negative beliefs and the energetic blocks they cause in that person’s body, relationships and life. Awareness and acceptance of whatever is going on with you right now is a powerful step in the direction of change. When I facilitate a healing session with someone, some of the biggest shifts occur when I simply open my heart and hold a loving space for that person to exist in just as they are. From there, any changes they choose to bring about can quickly and easily occur - ﬁrst in their energy ﬁeld and then in their lives. For most of my life, my greatest desire was to feel loved, and now that I have cultivated unconditional love for myself, I feel transformed and free to become the best possible version of my unique self. A big part of this learning curve has been the realisation of my worth. Every- one is worthy. Not everyone believes it, but everyone is. No more or less worthy than any other being; just worthy. You may believe your worthiness is open for debate, and you may even debate it, but it is beyond your control. You are always worthy, no matter what. And so is everybody else, just as they are. Love does not need to control any- one. A desire to control others’ behaviour is really a desire to feel positive emotion in yourself. But trying to achieve happiness by controlling the behaviour of others is not a wise course of action as there is no guarantee of success. And since our emotions only exist inside our own body, the best place to work on them is there – in yourself. One way to have happier, healthier emotions is to fully feel the ones that are already there when they arise. Let them ﬂow and let them go. Dance them out of you. Paint them out of you. Talk them out of you. There is nothing wrong with feeling any and all emotions. They are a part of our holy human experience, and to be wholly human we must fully feel them. When fully allowed, the energy of emotions can become a powerful creative force. Take the energy of lust for example. This intense sexual desire has driven many a man mad, including me, on more than one occasion. But when I recently experimented with simply allowing this feeling to exist, I found that I was ﬁlled with a conﬁdent, proactive, focused energy that lent itself really well to the work I was doing. If channelled properly, any emotion can be of beneﬁt, but if repressed, they can become destructive to your mental and physical health, as well as to the health of your relationships. Whatever kind of a relationship you have, or want, a good understanding to have is whether your decisions, words and actions are based in love or fear - for yourself as well as others. All of our decisions can be traced back to either love or fear. Fear is based on a limited perspective of Life, which gener- ates ideas of lack, impulses of greed and feelings of unworthiness, but Love knows of the abundance of Life and the intrinsic value in all things. It doesn’t worry about anything because it is a part of everything and everything is a part of it. Love will never leave you, even if the feeling of love or the people we love seem to go away, Love and Life go on forever - as will you, in one form or another. There is nothing to fear, not even Fear itself. All emotions, experi- ences and beliefs are worth having. Love is grateful for every little thing you think, say or do. You are here to share your beautiful, wonderful, ever-evolv- ing incarnation with the entirety of the universe and our source - ever observant, ever loving, ever You. “You are always worthy, no matter what. and so is everybody else, just as they are.” If you would like to read more of my writing, visit www.patrickbridgeman.com or, to book a healing session, call 0857882678 during oﬃce hours.

Transformation byDavie Philip In this Good Life 2.0 column, I have been exploring how we might become more effective change makers and play a part in the transition to a way of life where we can thrive in these uncertain times. I’ve been highlighting some of the potential responses to the challenges we face, as well as looking at emerging technologies and processes that can help us nurture resilience in our communities and in ourselves. We shouldn’t let a good crisis go to waste; these challenging times could provide a once-in-a-species opportunity to adapt our way of life to one that ﬁts the carrying capacity of our planet and works for everyone, not just a few. In this issue of Positive Life, I want to explore an elegant and powerful analogy for change that has been used for thousands of years - the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterﬂy. This metaphor has recently been further informed with the latest in systems thinking and the observations of the evolutionary biologist and futurist Dr. Elizabet Satoris. The butterﬂy begins its journey as a tiny egg on a leaf from which the caterpil- lar emerges. Right from the beginning of its life, a caterpillar’s sole purpose and function is to consume. They are like little eating machines that increase their body weight several thousand times in a couple of weeks, actually growing out of their skin ﬁve times before hanging from a twig and getting ready for a radical change. This is called the “pupa stage”. The cater- pillar sheds its skin again but this time the new skin is different, its a harder protec- tive shell called the “chrysalis”. This is where the transformation from caterpillar to butterﬂy takes place. Within the chrysalis, the body of the caterpillar starts to break down into a nutrient goo. This is where the magic happens with the emergence of cells that have been dormant in the caterpillar. These are called “imaginal” or “organiser” cells and at ﬁrst are seen as a threat and attacked by the immune system of the caterpillar. The imaginal cells however are called to action, start to collaborate and come together to create the body, legs and wings of an entirely different being. The imaginal cells develop into the structure it was originally determined to become, and after a few weeks and a ﬁnal struggle the transformation is complete and the butterﬂy emerges and takes ﬂight. So what is the lesson of this story for us? We have now reached the long predict- ed limits to our growth and its time for us to make the transformation to a different system. The opportunity of this moment is unprecedented, with a convergence of new ideas and technologies, a resurgence of community spirit and a yearning to simplify our lives and to do more together. We are at a critical turning point in our civilization’s evolution; it’s similar to the stage between the caterpillar and butterﬂy, a time of transition or metamorphosis. Our economic system requires us to consume, so it could be said that the current purpose of our human system is to consume resources and ensure economic growth. This makes our society, and us, similar to caterpillars. However, The Good Life 2.0community resilience in a changing world “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the rest of the world calls a butterﬂy.” ~ Lao Tzu 30 Papilio Machaon caterpillar…

as Elizabet Satoris stresses, “the caterpillar is a necessary stage but becomes unsustainable once its job is done. There is no point in being angry at it, and there is no need to worry about defeating it. The task is to focus on building the butterﬂy, the success of which depends on powerful and positive creative efforts in all aspects of society and alliances built among those engaged in them.” However, the old system will ﬁght to protect its interests as the new system struggles to be born, and activists will spend a lot of energy ﬁghting the old rather than birthing the new. The lesson here for the change makers of today is to be more like imaginal cells and to collaborate with others on shaping the systems of a world that works. Caterpillars are the immature or growth stage of butterﬂies, and the industrial age could be seen as our growth period, which we now need to transcend. People seem to be getting tired of our shop-till-you-drop, all-you-can-eat, hyper-consumerist culture and are begin- ning to explore ways of simplifying their lives. There is a transformation in consum- erism going on, and not just in what we consume but how we consume. According to a Euro RSCG Worldwide survey, there is an emerging trend amongst signiﬁcant portions of the global population who are trading hyper-consumerism for a con- sumption that is more considered and sane. Many people are now exchanging a life of excess and the accumulation of stuff to a slowed down, low impact life of simplicity, authenticity, personal responsibility and community. New movements and businesses are emerging that facilitate the building of community and people sharing their resources with an emphasis on use and service over consumption and outright ownership. In this paradigm, there is a desire to share and to collaborate. People yearn to get to know and support each other, to gather locally and to meet face to face. Virtual communities are actually now fostering real ones as people use the Internet to get off the Internet. The rise in car sharing, land sharing, couch surﬁng, peer to peer lending and crowd funding demonstrate that a new culture of dematerialisation and collaboration is being born. This kind of culture is more like the butterﬂy than the caterpillar. The butterﬂy is very different from the caterpillar; it has very little impact on the earth and provides vital eco-system services through the pollination of plants. Its time for us to move from being motivated from a posi- tion of self-interest with an over-emphasis on individualism and consumption to adopting new processes that encourage sharing rather that owning, collaborating rather than competing and working with nature rather than against it. The transformation of our world is accelerating and is happening at all levels, within our communities and ourselves. The old ways are falling away and new ways will prevail as we recognise the crea- tive possibilities and livelihood opportuni- ties that collaboration reveals. It looks like the crisis is paving the way for a return of the spirit and values of the Meitheal, the old Irish co-operative system in which groups of neighbours helped each other. This powerful change metaphor is clear for anyone engaged in social transformation. As the old unsustainable structures collapse, it is time to really work together to bring into existence a life-serving resilient society. A new world is emerging; in the midst of the apparent chaos, lets act like imaginal cells and build the butterﬂy. Davie Philip runs the Community Resilience programme at Cultivate, is the Communication Manager at the Green Works Hub in Tipperary and is a resident in the Cloughjordan Ecovillage. www.cultivate.ie www.green-works.ie/tipperary www.thevillage.ie “a new culture of dematerialisation & collaboration is being born” …becomes Papilio Machaon butterﬂy

Created a few years ago by John Bowker and many others from “Tribal Spirit Drumming” and inspired by the “Unicorn” camps in the UK, Earthsong, for me, is the perfect example of how a human com- munity can live, work, network, heal and celebrate together in honour and respect for the land on which they congregate. The ﬁrst thing that stands out is a no drugs or alcohol rule. For a camp like this to work, I believe it is essential. The obvi- ous logistical and safety issues spring to mind, but there is a deeper, more human reason at play here. Rather than providing an escape; drugs and booze here would simply desen- sitise people to the experience and to the land. That’s the very reason people come here in the ﬁrst place, so why spend more money on substances that would waste the experience? You get the sense that most people here have done (or are doing) their party- ing elsewhere, and that they have decided to leave it aside to be present as much as possible at this very unique event. The normality and genius of that idea soon sets in. The experience of camping is prob- ably familiar to most, but here it is unique as everyone camps in small village circles, sharing a central wood ﬁre for cooking. Your circle really does become your family for the 9 days, with all the positive and negative connotations that implies. Circle members share cooking and resources. Time is set aside for circle members to get to know each other and discuss issues or problems as they arise. The point here being: this isn’t a ‘happy hippy’ gathering per se. It is an opportunity to live as part of a community, where people are equals and problems can be resolved through compromise. experiencingearthsong By Brendan Phelan 32

Another fascinating facet of this unique camping experience is the system under which the camp is actually run. Working together is key. Morning meet- ings in the Big Top marquee, open to all, are an essential part of the day’s activities. Problems, suggestions, jobs, reminders and so on are handed out and discussed. It created such a sense of belonging. Everyone contributed. Individuals I would have easily ignored on the street became iconic ﬁgures and characters in our little world. Under the stewardship of a small group, the camp became a well-oiled machine. The jobs became part of the social scene of the entire event. The day/week structures are designed by people who obviously have a huge amount of experience of such camps. Early morning mantras or yoga are followed by a very powerful ‘Heartsong’ session to bring the day up to 10ish. Then the morning meeting is followed by some drum workshops either for beginners or more advanced drummers. The drumming workshops were a revelation to me. Kicking dance music (drums, bells, shakers) in a tent just after breakfast. All live natural music played by the people you are living and working with and top class facilitators (as in the best) that you can tell are buzzing off working in these conditions with these numbers. Dinner is followed by 2 rounds of further workshops – drums, dance, skills (woodwork / felting) and other various workshops such as non-violent com- munication, family constellations (mind blowing), listening from the heart and so on. Dive into one of these groups, go on that journey, or choose to chill out – your choice. The experience of living on the land was one of the more important and effec- tive aspects of this event for me personally: being out in the open, rising at dawn and going to rest at dusk, being exposed to (and often at the mercy of) the elements, feeling connected to my surroundings and doing everything over a number of days within that context. There is a certain kind of poetry and romance to it. I was especially impressed with the teenagers. There is a natural energy that comes with this crew. They are at the point of establishing themselves, of doing things differently. It is a time of great excitement and opportunity, of hope and rebellion. At Earthsong, this energy is nur- tured. Teenagers have their own camping area and workshops. There is an air of respect from the parents and the rest of the community for that space. They are not told to be or say or learn anything. They are shown a way. Their individual creativity is encouraged. There is a truly natural structure and progression to their time in this place year on year, something very tribal. You really get the sense of people coming-of- age, growing to manhood or womanhood. The usual anger, anti-social behaviour and excesses we see in our culture among young people are not necessary in a system like this in order to be unique and to be heard. There is also a realistic hope that they actually respect the journey their parents are on and are coming-of-age into that culture in anticipation. It is the teenagers too who are front and centre for a climactic evening of drums – the Lughnasa Ball. For years, I wondered how you would create the feeling you get in a dance tent in a big festival with no electricity – just pure natural music. The genius of Earth Song is that, because of the set up, the audience become the spectacle. They are the colour and the noise. This was, for me, mind blowing, and I’ve been at my fair share of festivals. What’s amazing is its simplicity - candles, drums, bells, people and wild clothes in a Big Top. The candles create a central, magi- cal focus, a glittering tower of dim light. The drums, 50 or so, are arranged in a half circle with the experienced facilitators up front. Everyone’s on board, 5 to 70 years old, faces painted and bodies moving. We have all been here for a week or so, laugh- ing and crying together, doing the good work, and now we are here to just let rip. The drums just do not let up. You’d be amazed how long you can dance for when your body isn’t full of bad stuff (and there’s no come down!). The drummers, especially the more experienced ones, are going like the clappers, faces alight like children – these guys live for this. The dance is not a rebellion or a fashion state- ment. It is just pure communal celebration and everyone is invited. It is tribal in the purest sense of the word, and you don’t get much more real or human than that. So, what is it about this experience that I feel is soimportant for the average citizen out there? Earthsong helps to provide the indi- vidual with a natural sense of belonging. Once the individual comes to the under- standing that this earth, rather than our contemporary way of life, is our ‘reality’, once he or she understands that they can contribute and that there is a choice, then exciting things will happen to them, to their community, to the human race and consequently to the earth itself. This year, Earthsong is holding two camps: Earthsong Dance and Movement Camp - 9th July. Earthsong harvest Camp - 23rd July. Info: earthsong.ie Brendan Phelan is a blogger, ﬁlmmaker and web entrepreneur. He lives in Laragh, Co Wicklow. diaryofanewrealist.wordpress.com “Earthsong is one of the most important events in Ireland today, deeply affecting and inspiring.”

1Embodiment Dance By David Mooney When I dance I feel at home. It is a space for me to ﬁnd healing and plant seeds of my deepest wishes. Dance is the ground in which I ﬁnd solace when my heart is breaking. It is the ground for my spirit to soar. It is my spiritual practice. When my father died, dance was one of my strongest supports. Through dance I found the courage to open my heart to him before he died, something for which I will always be grateful. As a child I was quite disembodied. There were very good reasons for this, some of them cultural wounds, some familial and some ancestral. I spent my teens and early twenties externally searching for these ‘missing parts’ of myself. The further I searched outside, the stronger they came knocking internally through stress, depression and a deep sense of disconnection and isolation. Within these very wounds lay maps to healing. I found my way to movement practice in 2002 and it was a revelation for me. I began what is now a lifelong journey as a student and teacher of this work. Mine is not a unique story. I am sure some of you reading this may rec- ognise this sense of dis-ease in the body. With contorted messages of the body being ‘sinful’, instances of sexual abuse and a culture of self-medication through alcohol, it is not surprising. More people of all ages are ﬁnding their way to the Embodiment classes I teach and to the Funky Seomra. Move- ment is medicine, and conscious embod- ied movement is, in my view, a very strong medicine for our culture. I love dance with all my being, and teaching this practice is one of my most effective ways of saying “Thank you” to life and to the dance. dancefree.ie “That Healing Feeling” 34

2Abdominal Acupuncture By Niamh Hooper It’s a little known fact, but reﬂexes cor- responding to every organ and part of your body are located in your abdomen. While for many that may be merely another piece of useless information, for the Chinese, this discovery has led to the development of what is now regarded as the most powerful acupuncture treatment for internal, dif- ﬁcult to treat, chronic and acute conditions. A specialist style of healing, Abdomi- nal Acupuncture treats the whole person through the insertion of extra-ﬁne shallow needles into the abdomen. With the organs so close to the surface, it often provides immediate relief. Developed over the past two decades in China, Abdominal Acupuncture has now arrived in Ireland. Specialising in this gentle yet very effective technique is Acupuncturist Seán Hooper who trained and worked in the discipline in the Jiangsu Province Hospital in Nanjing, China under the tutorship of the world-renowned expert in Abdominal Acupuncture, Dr Han Yan. So what makes Abdominal Acupunc- ture different to other treatments out there? “By its very nature, Abdominal Acupuncture taps into, harnesses and guides one’s ancestral or pre-natal qi and, in so doing, can easily treat many condi- tions ranging from those associated with the organs, emotions, pain, and it is also especially appropriate as a natural fertility treatment,” says Seán. “I was delighted to get a call the other day from one of the couples who came to me for fertility treat- ment with their happy news that they are expecting their ﬁrst baby.” During a session in Seán’s Zen-like clinic, a client remains fully clothed with only their abdomen exposed. Following the insertion of the needles, a heat lamp is placed over the stomach to enhance the treatment while providing concentrated warmth and comfort. Seán’s expertise and gentle way has drawn to him a clientele that includes people from life’s many walks from babies through to the elderly. To make an appointment with Seán Hooper, call 0851461916 www.hooperacupuncture.com 3Reconnective Healing By Lauren MacLennan Reconnective Healing is a life-changing experience (accessing a new spectrum of healing frequencies of energy, light and information) that transcends energy healing and healing techniques, allowing true healing on every level and in all aspects of life. It was brought to us by Dr Eric Pearl, whose work has been documented in numerous publications (including his own bestseller The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself) and featured in the ﬁlm “The Living Matrix”. He has passed on this healing ability to practitioners around the world and it has generated great interest from international medical and research communities. Reconnective Healing is considered to be able to reconnect us to the universe and to our very essence, not just through a new set of healing frequencies but through possibly an entirely new bandwidth. The reality of its existence has been demon- strated clearly in practice and in research laboratories. Miraculous healings have been recorded from sessions with Eric Pearl and other practitioners, including cancers, birth disﬁgurements, cerebral palsy and other afﬂictions. Healing is a return to balance. Reconnective Healing doesn’t speciﬁcally “treat” anything. If in its presence you allow yourself to come back into balance, as many people do, then you do. Healings can come in all forms. The best way to allow for a healing is to proceed without expectation or attachment. Place yourself on the table, relax, close your eyes and simply notice and be ready to receive. Everyone’s experience with Recon- nective Healing is unique – as Eric Pearl says: “If you are lucky, your healing will come in the form you anticipated; if you are really lucky, your healing will come in a form you haven’t even thought of, one that the universe has in mind speciﬁcally for you.” www.TheReconnection.com “Seán’s expertise and gentle way has drawn to him a clientele that includes people from life’s many walks”

By Paula Duggan Dip NT CNM, CHEK Exercise Coach, EKI, NCEFE, MIANT Scientiﬁc literature conﬁrms that exercise and good nutrition increase our psychological resilience and help us to have a positive outlook on the world, so we look better, feel better and cope better in a world full of demands. Research also informs us that for a long, healthy and balanced life, daily exercise is one of the magic ingredients. We are not meant to be sedentary beings, we are designed to physically engage with the planet we inhabit. Now that Spring is here, it is a really great time to increase ﬁtness. So if you are one of the many people taking to the streets, power walking, jogging, training for a marathon or weight train- ing, Paula Duggan - an expert in nutrition and ﬁtness and CNM lecturer - has some useful tips. Hydration: This is vital in all stages of your schedule; ensuring you are hydrated before, during and after your training will greatly enhance your body’s resistance to overheating and dehydrating; even being 2% dehydrated can have an impact on your perform- ance, causing muscle fatigue and loss of endurance capacity. Choose quality water with a good mineral balance and a PH of 7 or more. Sports drinks can be helpful for electrolyte balance but some do contain artiﬁcial sugars which can be damaging to the body. It is easy to make your own sports drink with a mixture of water, pure organic fruit juice like apple or grape, and 1/8 tsp of quality salt like Himalayan pink sea salt or Celtic sea salt which have the minerals your body needs to restore balance. Drink ﬂuids cool but not cold - that can shock the system. Nutrition: Sound nutrition can give you the tools to support programs of muscle gain or fat loss, improve recovery and help support the immune system. Each athlete will have their own individual macronutrient needs, e.g. the marathon runner will require more carbohydrates and the weight lifter will need more protein - with this in mind, it is important to note that too much carbo- hydrate can cause unwanted weight gain and too much protein can be damaging to the kidneys. PRE-EXERCISE SUGGESTIONS: The Aim is to keep blood sugar balanced with low GI/GL, protein and some fat. Organic porridge oats soaked overnight in water then rinsed and cooked in a small pot with your milk of choice and served with blueberries, banana or apple, cinnamon, tablespoon of ﬂax or mixed seeds and 1 teaspoon of Manuka honey 10+. This will provide you with Low GI/ GL oats, antioxidants in the fruits, seeds for healthy omega fats, cinnamon to aid blood sugar balance and Manuka to help keep your immunity strong. Soaking your oats overnight will allow for better mineral absorption. Wholegrain bread like rye, spelt or wheat (if you tolerate it), with quality eggs, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of ﬂaxseed or extra virgin olive oil to include some healthy fats and balance your meal. POST-EXERCISE SUGGESTIONS: The Aim is to restore glycogen, aid muscle repair and support immunity with a balanced meal of carbs, protein and fats. Homemade sports drink to aid in electrolyte balance.Quality whey, hemp, pea or rice based protein smoothie with cold pressed coconut milk, ﬂax oil, frozen berries and a small banana - which is high in sugar and potassium.Quality chicken with basmati rice and sautéed vegetables ﬁt for a long and healthy life! 36

of choice - like onions, garlic, spinach and peas. OTHERTOP FOODS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR DIET WHILE INCREASING FITNESS: 1Omega 3 rich foods like salmon, mackerel, sardines, milled ﬂaxseed, ﬂax oil or chia seed. Omega 3 is made up of EPA and DHA. EPA helps reduce inﬂammation in the body and DHA aids brain function. To boost your levels of Omega 3 and keep in ratio with Omega 6 fats, include ground seeds to your porridge or whole grain cereal/muesli, eat good quality ﬁsh 3 times per week and snack on Omega 6 rich nuts like walnuts or almonds and seeds such as pumpkin or sunﬂower. 2Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are burnt in a similar manner to carbohydrates and may have a sparing effect on muscle glycogen in medium and intense exercise. MCT’s can be found in coconut oil; the best source would be organic raw extra virgin coconut oil which you will ﬁnd in the health store. You can use it when cooking stir fries or curries or add a teaspoon to your smoothie. 3Antioxidant Rich Foods will help your body disarm free radicals which are produced in the body as part of energy metabolism. Exercise increases free radicals, so antioxidant rich food should be included such as berries, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, garlic, herbs, 70% dark chocolate and green tea. Vita- min E is a powerful antioxidant found in foods like avocado, almonds, egg yolk and sesame seeds. 4Whole Grains are slow releasing grains that help keep your blood sugar stabilized with a steady release of energy to your muscles; examples: quinoa which is protein rich, brown rice, oats, millet, rye, spelt, wheat germ and wholegrain pastas. Read the food label and bear in mind that whole wheat doesn’t mean whole grain. 5Quality Proteins: Eggs, chicken, lamb, turkey, ﬁsh, lean beef, lentils and beans. 6Fats: nuts, seeds, avocados, ﬂax oil, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil. Cook on a low heat with olive oil and a high heat with coconut oil. With a little time and effort to include exercise in your daily routine, and a plan for meals and snacks, you can look and feel wonderful! For a private consultation with Paula, contact ptnpauladuggan@gmail.com or 0877701700 Application for all CNM diploma courses: Nutritional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Naturopathy, and short courses - Nutrition for Everyday Living (starting in March) - now being accepted. Contact 01 2353094 or dublininfo@naturopathy-ireland.com or www.naturopathy.ie

38 positive food“Feel Good” If there is one thing that is emerging in our modern-day understanding of psy- chological health, it is the link between our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations and our body’s biochemistry. What we think changes how we feel, and vice versa. Feelings are accompanied by physical sensations, but all of these are associated with corresponding changes in our internal biochemistry. Biochemi- cal changes affect how we feel and think. Knowing this, the obvious deﬁcits of conventional psychiatry are that a) most diagnoses are only based on the results of questionnaires about psychological symptoms, and b) most treatments are based on giving chemical drugs (hopeful- ly alongside some psychotherapy). This approach doesn’t take into account the biochemical side of the equation where making dietary changes - a more effective, less expensive and less invasive approach - can pave the way to feeling good while avoiding the use of man-made drugs with their often worrying side effects. Sounds good doesn’t it? When you feel tired, depressed, stressed or anxious, chances are you wouldn’t consider that your digestive system or a food you’ve eaten could have anything to do with it. But the gut and our emotions are linked. In the same way that nervousness can upset the tummy, foods that don’t “agree with us” can upset our mind. Most strong emotional feelings are felt physically somewhere along the digestive tract. We feel them in our gut and often experience them affecting our appetite and our ability to digest properly. The digestive system acts like a second “brain” producing factors that literally

2011, “ ” !“Feel Good” Factors “cross-talk” with the brain. Your second “brain” reacts every time you eat a piece of food. The gut lining, which makes up a surface area about the size of a tennis court and the thickness of half of a sheet of paper, is the interface between you and your food, and is programmed to react against anything eaten, just in case it is a foe. Most people don’t think of food allergies and food intolerance as having the potential to affect mood and behav- iour. Yet it has been known for a very long time that reactions to foods can cause chronic fatigue, tiredness, low mood, poor concentration, anxiety, hyperactiv- ity (ADHD), panic attacks and lack of motivation in susceptible individuals. 99% of the time, the job of a healthy immune system – which is more active in the gut than anywhere else – is to switch off that reaction so you can enjoy the food you’re eating without your body ﬁghting it. The convention is that a food allergy is caused by the release of IgE antibodies which target the offending food produc- ing rapid symptoms. But there’s another kind of antibody called IgG that doesn’t cause immediate reactions and that is implicated in hidden or delayed onset food allergies (often called food intoler- ances). In one survey of over 5,000 people who had taken the YorkTest IgG food intolerance test and avoided their suspect foods, more than 3 out of 4 reported a noticeable improvement in their symptoms. For those with psychological symptoms, the improvement rate was 81% and for those speciﬁcally with depression it was a staggering 92%. For those with panic attacks, all 15 sufferers beneﬁted from the dietary changes, and of the 436 participants in the study suffering from fatigue, energy levels improved notice- ably in 87% of them. On reintroduction of the offending foods, 92% got a return of symptoms. The conclusion? Well, the chances of this test working to help you “feel good” again are high if you have these kinds of symptoms. Moving on, one of the most impor- tant processes in the brain and body is called “methylation”. You consume about ten tons of food in your lifetime, and this somehow turns into YOU – a salty soup of chemicals all connected together. Think about when a ﬁre alarm goes off; amazingly you are able to make more adrenaline and take ﬂight in just 0.2 of a second; how does the body react so quickly and keep everything in balance? Well, this is where “methylation” is important. To get a bit technical here (sorry!), methyl groups, that are made from one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms, are added and subtracted from other molecules in your body in order to make the substances it needs. YOUR abil- ity to “methylate” - there are something like a million methylation reactions every second - is therefore vital to your health and wellbeing. Methylation is linked to a number of mental states and conditions. Faulty methylation is now known to pre- dict depression, affect concentration and the ability to stay in touch with reality. Ascertaining your “methyl IQ” is very important. Luckily there is a method available that makes this easy: the ﬁnger- prick blood test from YorkTest that meas- ures the level of the marker homocysteine in blood - the higher your homocysteine level the more likely you are to feel low and de-motivated. The good news is that raised homocysteine levels can usually be brought back to normal levels by simple dietary changes and/or supplementation with B vitamins. However, everyone is unique and differing metabolic, environ- mental and particularly genetic factors make it difﬁcult to determine individuals’ nutritional requirements without assess- ing levels of homocysteine ﬁrst, and then monitoring dietary changes to ensure that acceptable homocysteine levels are reached. Lowering your homocysteine level improves mood (that’s proven), so where are you on the “methyl IQ” scale? Maybe it’s time to ﬁnd out. “Most people don’t think of food allergies and food intolerance as having the potential to affect mood and behaviour. “ Patrick Holford will be giving Feel Good Factor Seminars in Belfast, Dublin, Galway, Cork and Wexford from 9th - 14th March. Visit www.patrickholford.com or call +44(0)2087891040 to book tickets. For more information about the YorkTest food intolerance and homocysteine tests and services, visit www.yorktest.ie or call 01 2022701. The Feel Good Factor Tour is supported by YorkTest who oﬀer a range of tests including food intolerance and homocysteine. For more information visit www.yorktest.ie or call the customer care team on 01 2022701.

GIY is a registered charity (CHY 18920) that inspires people to grow their own and gives them the skills they need to grow successfully. They do this by bringing GIYers together in the community and online so that they can learn from each other. There are now nearly 100 GIY groups around Ireland and approximately 7,000 people involved between the groups and their online network. Their wonderful website has a Direc- tory of Vegetables, a List of GIYers’ Groups and Maps to their locations, a Grower’s Calendar and Daily Tips for Growing Your Own. GIY Week 2011 takes place from the 12th to the 19th of March and is GIY’s ﬁrst major outreach event of the year. The event is timed to coincide with the start of the 2011 growing season and aims to encourage people who have never grown anything at all to pledge to stick a seed in the ground. Ireland and Leinster rugby star Shane Horgan has taken a pledge to grow his own food this year, and if you would like to do the same, here are some helpful tips for the season. THINGS TO DO THIS SEASON The key words for this season are weeds and slugs. You need to stay on top of them both. Check your early spuds regularly and ‘earth-up’ as required. Water your tunnel/greenhouse – things can get pretty warm on a nice sunny April day and seedlings will dry out quickly. The key to controlling weeds is to dedicate yourself to weeding “little and often” and the best way to beat a weed is to hoe it before it becomes a weed. In other words, run your hoe over your entire veggie patch once a week, regardless of whether there are any weeds or not. Hoe- ing will disrupt the weeds before they get a chance to become weeds. Buy yourself a decent Dutch or oscillating hoe – hoeing is actually quite a pleasant, upright task (compared to weeding by hand which can be an irritating, backbreaking one). Hoe for Victory! THINGS TO SOW THISSEASON Indoors: lettuce, tomato, peppers, chilli- pepper, cucumber, celery, celeriac, basil, leeks, cabbage, cauliﬂower, Brussels sprouts, parsley, courgette, marrow, globe artichoke, beans, sweet corn and pumpkin. Outdoors: broad beans, onion sets, peas, beetroot, cabbage, spinach, Brussels sprouts, parsnip, spring onion, leeks, carrot, radish, broccoli, turnip. Plant out cabbage plants when they are 15/20 cm tall into well- prepared soil that has been manured. TIP OF THE SEASON – NETTLEFERTILISER Pick huge bundles of tender young nettles - divert around 5oz to the kitchen for a delicious nettle soup and use the rest for an organic fertilizer. Nettles are extremely high in nitrogen, so if you soak a large bucketful in water for a week, you produce a brilliant nitrogen-rich fertilizer which will be hugely beneﬁcial for any plants which need leafy growth, for example lettuces, cabbage, kale, etc. Put a kilo of nettles in a Hessian bag, soak in 20 litres of water and leave it to stew for a month or so. It gets pretty stinky so put a lid on top. Mix one part nettle liquid with ten parts water when applying to plants. GIY will be present once again at this year’s Bloom festival, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family event, taking place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin during the June bank holiday weekend for 5 days. It’s a gardener’s paradise and a fantastic day out for anyone who likes pretty and practical gardens, yummy food and entertainment for all the family. www.giyireland.com bloominthepark.com GIY(grow it yourself) by Michael Kelly Founder of GIY Ireland “Ireland and Leinster rugby star Shane Horgan has taken a pledge to grow his own food this year” 40

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My ﬁrst “Tunnel Vision” was at Christmas 1984 when I visited the Smiths, in the hills around Ballydehob, who grew vegetables in polytunnels. Probably the only other polytunnels at the time existed at the other end of the country at Eden Plants in Ross- inver, Co. Leitrim. When I arrived with my family in Ireland in the summer of 1985, we built the ﬁrst polytunnel ourselves. Now you see them everywhere, and for very good reason too. Do you love tomatoes? Would you like to be eating your ﬁrst crop of new pota- toes as early as June? Do you want lettuce throughout the winter? If the answer to all those questions is yes, then the only option - not only in the West of Ireland - is to invest in a polytunnel! Polytunnels are an excellent way of increasing home production at a low cost: For growing tender vegetables which require » higher temperatures than normally exist in an Irish summer, e.g. tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, basil, sweet corn. For extending the growing season, both in » the spring and autumn, e.g. carrots, calabrese, celery, courgette, beetroot, scallions, radish and annual herbs such as dill and coriander. For winter cropping, e.g. winter purslane, » mizuna, salad rocket, tat soi, radicchio and lambs lettuce. For plant propagation. Polytunnels can » successfully be used for raising plants either on heated benches or even in the soil for bare- root transplant raising. Another advantage is that a tun- nel will allow rather more comfortable conditions for the person gardening or growing during periods of rain or miser- able summers. Here are a few crops ideally suited to Polytunnels: Climbing French Beansare an excellent polytunnel crop. They rarely do well outside unless you have a very sheltered garden. Seeds can be started in small pots or sown in situ if the soil tem- perature is above 10º Celsius. Sowing can be done from March until early summer for cropping from late June until late Autumn. Seeds should be sown about 5cm and 15cm (6”) apart. Cucumbers are another proliﬁc crop for the polytunnel. One plant can produce enough cucumbers for a whole family over the summer, and you can grow Gherkins for pickling. Sow during April in seed trays at 24-25º Celsius. Pot them when the leaves have expanded, and maintain a minimum of 15º Celsius. Grow in a raised bed in single rows with 45cm (18”) spacing. Plant from early May on. Train them up a string that is buried under the plant and supported by a crop wire overhead. Tomatoes are possibly the most popular under cover crop. Sow them in early - mid March at 20-24º Celsius in seed trays. After germination, maintain a minimum temperature of 15º Celsius. Pot on once plant has developed a 2nd set of leaves. Beds must have a rich supply of organic matter in the form of well rotted farmyard manure or compost. Potassium is very important for tomatoes and may be supplied using seaweed meal or dust. Plant in double rows with 50cm (20”) between rows and 60cm (2ft) between plants. Other suitable crops include Basil, which really thrives in the warm protected environment. Chilli and Sweet Peppers both grow well in a tunnel. Lettucestake up little space and can be harvested as early as April. Sweet corn takes up a lot of room but is worth it for the ﬂavour of those freshly picked cobs. If you grow Potatoes in a tunnel, you could be tucking into your ﬁrst batch of new potatoes as early as late May or early June. On a recent visit to Clare, I met organic pioneer Jim Cronin at his market stall in Killaloo on a Sunday morning. Despite subzero temperatures, all week he had great lettuces and spinach for sale. “It’s called Winter harvesting” he tells me. “The secret is cold-hardy varieties of vegetables, succession planting and double protected cultivation. I had 4 layers of ﬂeece on top of the plants in the polytunnel.” Finally, if you are new to protected cropping, get advice and visit gardeners who grow in polytunnels. The Organic Centre are running one day courses and also feature 8 polytunnels of all sizes and various cropping. positivefood By Hans Wieland You can call The Organic Centre on 071- 9854338 or email info@theorganiccentre.ie or visit www.theorganiccentre.ie the wonder of growing in polytunnels 43 POSITIVE TIP: DON’TBUYA SMALL TUNNEL! THE BENEFITS OF PROTECTED CROPPING WILL BECOMEOBVIOUSVERY QUICKLY ANDYOUWILL BECOME ADDICTED. A GOOD SIZE FAMILYTUNNEL IS ABOUT TO METERS LONG.

positive food 44 spring recipes Hooray for Spring with all its new shoots and vibrant green growth twisting and turning, ﬂexible around obstacles, unstop- pable in its expansion and release. Winter is over, its time to wake up and move! Feel this irrepressible Spring energy that brings desire into life with ﬂexibility and movement. Traditionally in the west, Spring is a time for cleaning up and clearing out. In Chinese medicine, it is the time of Wood energy and the Liver/Gall Bladder meridians within the body. These ﬁt together perfectly as the Liver/Gall Bladder is essential for detoxing. To help it, steer clear of too many saturated fats. The sour ﬂavoured foods in these recipes will help clear out those fats and stimulate the Liver and Gall Bladder into action. By Joanne Faulkner

Caponata 2 onions 1 aubergine 1 red pepper 2 stalks of celery 1 bulb of fennel 2 handfuls of green beans ½ lb of mushrooms 2 tins of tomatoes 6 garlic cloves 150ml olive oil 150ml balsamic vinegar 1 small jar of rinsed and pitted black olives 2 tbsp capers 120g fresh basil or ﬂat leaf parsley Salt and pepper This may read like a very odd recipe, but cook it and see. It keeps for days in the fridge and just gets better with age. The tangy relish ﬂavour makes it a perfect accompani- ment to ﬁsh (the oilier ﬁsh the better) to soothe the often overworked Liver. Fry the onions in half the olive oil on a medium heat until soft and golden, then add all the vegetables (which have been chopped quite small) together with the balsamic vinegar. Cook uncovered on a very low heat for about an hour until all the liquid has been absorbed or evapo- rated. Then add the chopped olives, capers, herbs and seasoning to taste and cook for another 5 minutes. Spring Green Soup 1 onion 1 garlic clove knob of butter 3/4 medium potatoes 1 head of Kale or 6oz spring greens/nettles 2 pints veg stock 1tsp nutmeg Juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper It was very difﬁcult to choose which soup recipe to share as there is so much wonderful food out there for clearing stagnation and supporting the liver. In the end, I picked this soup for its colour – incredible vibrant green of the Shrek variety. Green is the colour of Spring and of the Liver/Gall Bladder, and all dark green foods help the gall bladder excrete bile which breaks down fat. Cook the onions in the butter on a medium heat until golden and soft. Add the garlic and sliced potato’s (I like to cut mine into rounds). Stir softly for 5 min- utes, ensuring all ingredients are coated. Add the kale and a couple of tablespoons of stock and let all ingredients sweat for 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the stock and cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove the potatoes and liquidize the remaining stock and kale, adding the nutmeg, lemon and seasoning. Return the potatoes to the pot and it’s done. * Even though the sour ﬂavour is part of the purpose of this liver nour- ishing soup, be careful that it does not overpower the earthy warmth of the soup. Plum Fool 1 lb plums 1 tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp dried ginger 4 tbsp Apple Juice Stone and halve the plums. Put the apple juice in a heavy based pan followed by the spices and the plums. Bring almost to the boil and allow to gently simmer for 10-15 minutes, depending on how mushy you like your plums. This is great eaten warm with a dollop of vanilla yogurt. This delicious dessert is fresh and tangy, perfectly mirroring the irrepress- ible spring energy that brings desire into life with ﬂexibility and movement. Go with that ﬂow and Happy Cooking. Joanne is a fully qualiﬁed Shiatsu Practitioner who specializes in food and the energetic impact it has on our bodies. If you would like to book a place on a course or a one-to-one shiatsu session, or need catering for holistic workshops, please contact her on 0866070432 or email joannefaulkner@live.ie Upcoming dates: The Art of Conscious Cooking for the Liver/Gall Bladder Energy - 26th March and 9th April 2011 recipes PHOTOS:EMMABRERETON

$$ $ &$$$ #$ !$ #'%$$ $ An Enhanced Style of Living “All of Life comes to us with Ease, Joy and Glory” Dublin and Nationwide '$%((( (t) 01 207 9881 (e) info@lifeandbalance.ie )!##%$ *"&$# # $$$$% #%%%* *& ** &(*$( &* &#$ %%*#*# $$#* * * % +#*# $$ %# $$, Elmwood Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy 22 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4 016676928 info@elmwoodcentre.com www.elmwoodcentre.com All our therapists are: UÊ*ÀviÃÃ>ÞÊµÕ>wi` UÊ Ý«iÀiVi` UÊÕÞÊ>VVÀi`Ìi` UÊ*ÀviÃÃ>ÞÊ supervised HELPING YOU TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP At Elmwood Centre, we are a full time team of therapists who are committed to supporting you in a Li>ÕÌvÕ]ÊVw`iÌ>Ê>`ÊÃ>viÊÃ«>Vi° COUNSELLING SERVICES WE PROVIDE Individual counseling Relationship counseling >ÞÊÌ iÀ>«Þ Cognitive behavioural therapy Hypnotherapy/Psychotherapy Addiction counseling Workplace counseling Student counseling ISSUES WE HELP YOU WITH: Depression ÝiÌÞ Bereavement Relationship Breakdown Personal Development Dependency/Addiction Self Esteem Abuse Trauma If you would like to make an appointment or speak to one of our Ì iÀ>«ÃÌÃÊ«i>ÃiÊVÌ>VÌÊÕÃÊÊVw`iViÊ>Ì\Êä£ÈÈÇÈÓnÊÀÊi>Ê info@elmwoodcentre.comwww.elmwoodcentre.com

short &sweet 47 Infant Massage seems to be getting more and more popular these days, but what is it all about? In lots of cultures, massaging babies is a tradi- tion that has been around for centuries, but it is thanks to Vimala McClure and the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) that it is at last spreading through- out the Western World. It is the very special art of using nurturing touch to com- municate with your baby, to show them that they are loved and welcomed and that they can feel secure and safe in this new world into which they have suddenly been delivered. This knowledge will allow a baby to grow and develop in a healthy way. It can speed up their development, can help them gain weight and enable their digestive system to function more efﬁciently, thus aiding the prevention of colic and constipation. Because it impacts on all the systems of the body, it is particularly beneﬁcial for premature babies. Infant Massage is also a very special way to bond with a baby. For this reason, IAIM recommend that it is only taught to those closest to the baby, especially mum and dad, but also grandparents, guardians or siblings for example. For dads it is a spe- cial way to get involved when mum is breastfeeding, doing something that is enjoyable and fun, and really beneﬁts the baby. Oxytocin, the hormone of love, ﬂoods the system of the baby and of the person giving the massage. For mums suffering from post natal depression, this has a natural healing effect, and for babies it has a calming, relaxing effect. Massage can therefore aid sleeping patterns. Baby Massage Ireland (BMI) is the Irish Chapter of the IAIM and they have instructors throughout the country running private classes and group courses. The beneﬁts of infant mas- sage are so numerous that it is becoming more and more recognised by the medical profession. In Ireland, course fees are now covered by most of the major health insur- ance companies provided the instructor is registered with (BMI). All certiﬁed instruc- tors are listed on www. babymassageireland.com Infant Massage By Mary Costello

short &sweetMy Favourite Things Name: Darragh Flynn Occupation: Wheatgrass and Healthy Sprout Grower (The Happy Pear Living Foods) Book – My favourite book is Tuesdays With Morrie. There are just so many good lessons and beautiful phrases and it has such a real warmth to it. Film – Good Will Hunting / Finding Forrester – both main characters end up sharing their talents with the world. Music – I have a really wide taste in music – at the moment I’m loving listening to Declan O’Rourke (Since Kyabram) and David Kitt’s new album The Nightsaver. Website – I love the Happy Pear one but I’m well biased. And of course, YouTube, what an amazing resource! Food – One I love to make is a toasted wholemeal pitta with sundried tomato pesto on one side, hummus on the other, a couple of slices of tomato and jam packed with sunﬂ ower and alfalfa sprouts – delicious! Venue – I love the National Concert Hall and its intimate setting! Event – Tough one but I’d have to say I’m looking forward to the Olympics in London next year! I can’t wait to check out some of the races. Destination – I really like France, particularly the South but the world is incredible, and there’s so much I look forward to seeing. Pastime – I really enjoy doing Ashtanga Yoga. I feel so much more supple, alive and centred afterwards. Exercise – I love to run, bike and swim. Running comes easiest though. Spiritual Practice – Listening to nature, particularly the sound of ﬂ owing water, and being still. Spiritual Teacher – I have many but the present moment is probably my favourite. Quote – “When you learn how to die, you learn how to live, live each day as if it were your last.” ~ Morrie Schwartz www.livingfoods.ie www.thehappypear.ie 1 Choose a quiet room or space in your house, possibly a corner. 2 Turn off all lights and light one candle and incense. 3 Sit in the lotus position (or cross legged) with both your hands relaxed on your knees (palms down). Close your eyes and concentrate on one single thought in your mind - for example: try to recreate the image of the candle ﬂ ame in your mind. 4 Breathe in deeply and slowly from your base/root chakra (the base of your spine); then very gently breathe out, mak- ing the sound “OM” very, very slowly. 5 If you do this continuously for 3 minutes, you will feel your body and mind become cool, quiet and calm. You will feel more energetic and more positive thoughts will enter your mind. This process works for clean- ing your heart and mind. www.saﬀ ronandsapphire.com Meditation for Balancing the Chakras 48

Large selection of gift- ware & books in store Stockists of Trilogy, Burts Bee’s, Tisserand, Weleda & many more fantastic natural brands Make Fertility Childs Achieve FertilityWith Play a b c Affiliated Acupuncturist with Zita West Fertility Clinics. Best of Complimentary & Conventional Medicine Practitioners. Comprehensive Care Pre/Post Conception & Post Natal. .............................................................................................. ........................................................................................................... .............................................................................................. 1. Dublin’s first Intregrated Fertility Clinic 2. Natural / Artificial Fertility Solutions 3. Therapists-Acupuncture, Chiropractor, Hypnotherapist, Nutritional Therapist, Reflexologist, Fertility Nurse. Achieve Fertility Clinic, Ballawley Lodge, Sandyford road, Dublin 18. Tel: 01-2937809 www.achievefertility.ie Dan-Tien, 30/31 bride street dublin 8. Tel: 087 961 8344 www.dan-tien.com

Male and female therapists available www.bindutantraireland.com +353860234182 We are the only centre in Ireland accredited by the European Association of Tantra Professionals Naked Yoga class twice a week. Men`s classes Monday and ursday, mixed classes coming soon – register your interest now Sexual dysfunctions treatment / Sexual abuse therapy / Emotional release therapy rst session free! 5 levels of massage to help you discover/reconnect with your body Regular workshops for men women and couples - see website for more information Workshops Tantra Kriya Yoga Workshops Sexual dysfunction therapies Tantra Kriya Yoga Massage Sexual dysfunction therapies For men, women and couples Home of the Ki-Pod reikisession Rejuvinate Invigorate Exilarate Your mind body and soul INDULGE YOUR BLISS WILL THANK YOU +353 877 600 502 www.kikohreiki.com DUBLIN HOLISTIC CENTRE 28 SOUTH WILLIAM STREETDUBLIN 2 Choosing Happiness - Part 2 By Sharyn Cunneen “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.” ~ Buddha. As soon as you choose to be happy, you are already on the path. The path of happiness is also the path of your true self. They can not be separated. Gratitude is a simple technique that we can incorporate into our everyday lives. Being grateful and appreciative allows us to recognise what we already have. It can raise our energy levels to a higher state of joy. Who do you choose to be most of the time? Someone who is grateful or someone who complains a lot? Being grateful results in happiness. There is always something to be grateful for. We can be grateful to be alive, grateful for the food we have to eat, grateful for the people in our lives, etc. We have a choice from moment to moment. Choosing to complain is identifying with our ego and not our true selves. Being grateful moves our energy from our mind to our heart, which is where our true self is. The more often you choose to be grateful and appreciate what you like or consider beautiful, the more love, peace and happiness you will feel. 21 days forms a habit. For 21 days every morning or evening, write a list in a gratitude journal. Beside each entry, write the rea- sons that you are grateful for it. People who do this regularly have a lower level of stress and a higher level of happiness. Remember, you are choosing how to feel. Practise happiness and evolve in joy. www.howtobehappy.tv Facebook: I Choose Happiness 50

Saundra Stephen 087 9777546 Hiheal99@gmail.com Patricia pwb@cruzio.com BeHeavenOnEarth.com Dublin’s Oscailt Centre April 8-10 / Cost €275 also! SHAMANIC SOUND HEALING EVENT April 7, 7.30-9.30 Buddha Bag Let me help you to Overcome emotional pain andGrow beyond all that holds you back Phone:01 6639949 Mob:087 4161903 Monkstown, Co Dublin EUGENIE HERATY UK trained Psychotherapist/Hypnotherapist/ Healer 20 years international experience www.quantumpsychotherapy.com In its purest form, Democracy is supposed to be ‘of the people by the people for the people’. The foundations of it are the notions of freedom of choice and personal liberty, bound by social agree- ment and a system of laws and regulations. Orbiting within this sphere of consciousness is the idea of Capitalism, which is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for proﬁt; and its lubricant Commerce, a whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. Society is governed by a complex web of agreements or contracts. Some of these contracts are well known, such as mortgages and marriages. Others are more subtle and covert, yet can fundamentally affect the way we view ourselves and the reality of the world we live in. An example of this would be the Birth Certiﬁcate. This contract has far reaching implications for each and every one of us to the extent that we are in effect a commercial commodity that is traded both publicly and privately. These contracts form the very basis of all debt and control. The New Commerce is a name given to the in depth study of the history, the practice and the implications of these con- tracts. By understanding them, we get an opportunity to create a new societal paradigm that is based on Truth, Fact and Honour. Rather than placing too much energy on a ﬂawed system, or being ignorant and fearful of it, the New Commerce is a vehi- cle for personal and global transformation, drenched in integrity and fuelled by love. newcommerce.me/michaelricepublic bioarchitecture.ie/ The New Commerce By Michael Rice

$%#$%"#&''&'&#"'&!* '% !'#(&#%!#&'#&$' "'#, '&'& "%$' %&( '&-#)% ##&'&' '%,#%%'#"&$%% ,*'"('%'#" $%#&&#" #'" &%""*& "#! $'%"('%"'%#!#% #%'+' . ) #" "'***"('%"'%#! Have you heard about the wonderful beneﬁts of Aloe Vera? Forever Living Products offer an exclusive range of organic nutritional and skincare products. Would you like to be your own boss? We are looking for enthusiastic, well motivated people who want to work from home. Why not join us? Contact:Fionnuala Barrett, Independent Distributor, Forever Living Products Mobile 086 6038633 mfrdbarrett@gmail.com experience a new sense of » power and possibility heal menstrual problems» Discover the power of your menstrual cycle For bookings and information: www.womensquest.org/Events or ring Alexandra Pope +44 7 974 388 973 Dublin, June 18th | Cork, June 25th A one–day workshop for women Creating Menstrual Health

The common belief about Tantra massage is its sexual nature. However, this kind of massage aims not at sexual gratifica- tion, but at achieving personal growth through pleasurable activities. The basic concept of this massage is to soothe emotional scars, stimulate healing and elevate the receiver to a higher spiritual realm through sensual acts. The most powerful hormones in the human body are in the sexual glands. Tantra helps remove blockages and lovingly returns you to ecstasy - your birth right. TANTRAMASSAGE: THEGOALS 1 To waken the kundalini, which is a form of energy that remains dormant at the base of the spinal cord until activated. The kundalini enhances the body’s ability to heal itself. 2 To activate the chakras located on the spine. The chakra or the wheel is the centre of energy in the body. There are seven principal chakras along the spine, starting from the base of the spine and ending in the head. By energizing these chakras, one can achieve physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. TANTRAMASSAGE: GENERAL BENEFITS 1 Increases the production of white blood cells and antibod- ies. This increases the body’s immunity towards diseases and also enhances resistance against other environmental changes. 2 Strengthens the seven ingredients that make up the human body. This strengthening increases tolerance and forbearance, a real boon in times of anxiety. There are many benefits of undergoing Tantra massage. Massage is a way of interacting with the body. When the body is touched at these sensitive spots, changes occur not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically. www.bindutantraireland.com tomcolton.com New Online Insurance for Practitioners Brian Mullins Insurance Brokers (BMIB) are delighted with the recent launch of their new online insurance facility for Practitioners. BMIB are one of Ireland’s leading Insurance Brokers and cover over 130 different Treatments. They also offer substantial discounts for Group Policies and currently cover a number of Ireland’s largest associations. For more info, visit www.bmib.ie or call 0719138462. Tantra Massage By Tom Colton 53

After being in the business world for over 30 years, I began to feel “there must be more,” soin 1995 I began a journey into self discovery. I followed my heart and expe- rienced a journey like no other, attending courses and workshops andstudying for almost 10 years to become an Alternative Health Care Practitioner. In 2009, I founded The Atlantis Institute where I now work with clients on a 1 to 1 basis and offer comprehensive workshops and night courses on Self Development, Learning to be Happy in Life, Understanding Our Life and Life’s Purpose, Building Loving and Caring Relationships, as well as Diploma Courses in Colour Therapy and Crystal Therapy. Atlantis is set on 5 acres of unspoiled, organic, natural land with spectacular views of the rolling countryside. The Centre has a number oftherapy rooms, a sound proof and purpose built Aura Image & Recording Studio for meditations, relaxation areas, classrooms, a sun lounge,showers and changing facilities. Atlantis Crystals also have a shop within the centre, ﬁlled with the most vibrant crystals, gemstones and jewellery together with ﬁgurines of Angels, Fairies and Unicorns. The Centre also houses The Make-Up Studio of well known Make-Up Artist Roy Wong. The grounds, whichare always a work in progress, currently have walks, ponds and astream, a fruit orchard and a Temple of Deity. A 20ft Pyramid is under construction and a Gravelled Walkway to the River and a Crystal Cave are set to follow. Other plans for our future include Flotation Therapy, Crystal Bath Therapy and log cabins for overnight retreat. My aim is to continue to transform The Atlantis Institute into a sacred and peaceful space of the highest Divine Energy for healing and wellbeing. www.atlantisinstitute.ie Achieve Fertility! By Niamh O’Brien Increasing studies are proving that a healthy diet, man- aged stress levels and a balanced lifestyle are key factors in conceiving naturally. Achieve Fertility is a team of 6 healthcare practitioners based in Sandyford who became established to offer a natural way of addressing infertility, either as an alternative to or in conjunction with conventional treatments. The group offers several modalities between them – there is a medical nurse who specialises in infertility, a nutritionist, chiropractor, psychotherapist, herbalist and two acupuncturists. It supports couples hoping to optimise the results of IVF treatment and those who simply wish to be in peak mental and physical health for starting a family. At Achieve Fertility, a tailored holistic approach is provided, bringing the emotional and physical needs of an individual into balance and harmony. Contact Ballawley Lodge on 01-2930941 or email info@achievefertilty.ie Visit www.achievefertility.ie or ﬁnd us on Facebook. 54 short &sweet The Atlantis Institute By David Ellis

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